Tiny Dancer
by Lynsey Schadegg
Summary: Opening night for Midgar Dance Company’s newest show may be the beginning of something more than just a hot new act. Warnings: Very very very AU
1. Chapter 1

Warnings: Very AU

Disclaimer: I do not own FFVII or its characters. I make no money from this fiction.

Summary: Opening night for Midgar Dance Company's newest show may be the beginning of something more than just a hot new act.

A/N: You may want to view the links that I have listed at the end to get the best experience out of this part.

"It's called _culture_, Zack."

"But, it's a theater and it _doesn't play movies_."

"It won't hurt you to see one performance."

"It's not a performance. It's the freaking _ballet_. That includes tutus and ruffles and-and-and ewwww…."

A perfect, silver eyebrow was raised. "And acting like a two year old will not get you out of it. Anyway, I picked one I thought you would like."

"See, that's the first thing you got wrong: thinking I would like the…_ballet_," the word was spit out like bad milk.

"It's a more modern rendition of the ballet. They use all those…" a pause to indicate slight distaste, "popular songs you listen to on the radio."

"Hey! Those songs are way better to listen to than that crap you bombard me with on a daily basis."

"Beethoven is classic!"

"Classically _booooriiiing_."

The limo stopped smoothly in front of the large, steel-and-glass building that was the theater. Zack heard Sephiroth sigh in relief, probably at no longer having to listen to his whining. They left the air-conditioned confines of the vehicle for the stuffy, chemical scented air of upper plate Midgar. Despite being above the plate, the crush of buildings and people made the area seem just as closed in as the bottom plate for Zack, who trailed after Sephiroth down the freaking _red carpet_ and into the spot-lighted building.

It was opening night for Midgar Dance Company's newest production, _7__th__ Heaven_. Everyone who was anyone was there, strolling down the red carpet to the flash of a hundred cameras and screaming paparazzi. How Zack had gotten suckered into coming was a long story that involved the words, "Fine. Next time _you_ pick what we do." Oh, how he regretted those words now. He liked being in the spotlight just fine, but this was a little much. Plus, fucking _ballet_.

But this was the one thing that Sephiroth had actually _wanted_ to do. Why the General wanted to watch a bunch of anorexic chicks stuffed into taffeta and sparkles frolic around a stage was beyond him. Despite the promise of a good soundtrack, he was _not_ looking forward to the next few hours. They did have a private box…maybe he could catch a nap when Seph wasn't looking.

He smiled and waved along with Sephiroth as they were made to stop at multiple points and get their picture taken. Zack glanced around the building as they made their way to the entrance from where the car dropped them off. Huge posters covered the windows of the complex, all of them long, skinny things that featured two beautiful blue eyes with the phrase, "7th Heaven" scribbled beneath them in some font that was suppose to be edgy and cool but really looked like someone had a blind two year old with a crayon do it.

Having finally entered the building, they were ushered along to their box and seated in the posh, comfortable seats waiting for them. Zack leaned back and sighed. These were definitely comfortable enough. He should be able to fall asleep in no time.

Sephiroth settle next to him, crossing his long legs clothed in something other than leather for once. The pinstripe suit looked pretty sharp on the silver haired man, but it kind of weirded Zack out to see anything other than battle gear on the General. His own suit felt hot and constricting since he was so use to the fatigues and ribbed turtle necks that was his daily uniform.

The hum of the audience as they filtered in and found their seats in the massive theater thrummed in Zack's ears. Knowing he'd get a fist upside the head if he fell asleep while Seph was paying attention to him, Zack decided to find some way to entertain himself until the lights were dimmed and sleep was an option. Sephiroth flipped open the program that had been shoved into their hands when they entered the building and began reading the articles. _Booooriing_.

…lacking anything else to do Zack flipped open the program and began reading the articles. He wished Genesis was here. They could heckle the audience together. If he did it by himself he'd get smacked by the irritable Sephiroth.

The program was one of those expensive ones you usually had to pay to get. Of course they'd give them to the 'stars' that showed up to watch the performance. Apparently, the pretty blue eyes from the banners belonged to the lead dancer, one…Cloud Strife? Cloud Strife the ballet dancer. Well, if _that_ wasn't gayer than a rainbow colored unicorn shitting bubblegum ice-cream…

The dancer's picture was plastered all over the program, along with his name mentioned in several of the articles all shouting in bold and italics, "Astounding! Sixteen Year Old Prodigy! Perfection on stage!"

Yawn.

Not that the kid wasn't cute or anything. Zack would be the first to admit that his own gate swung both ways. No reason in limiting his sexual appetite, right? But…it was just…he liked his men to be…_manly_. If he wanted pretty and delicate he'd just go for a woman. He liked men like…Angeal or that Turk, Rude. Those were two hot pieces of man meat. Even Sephiroth, while stunning, was not exactly to his taste.

Waitaminute_**BOOBIES**_.

Said boobies belonged to the choreographer, featured in yet another photograph of Cloud Strife. They were standing next to each other with their arms over the other's shoulders. The caption read, "Friends since childhood, dancer Cloud Strife and choreographer Tifa Lockheart have taken Midgar Dance Company by storm."

Tifa Lockheart, eh? Now that was a fine woman. Not one of those stick skinny dancer types like in all the other photos. This was a woman with boobs, hips, and if the picture could be believed, an ass that just _begged_ to be chewed on a little. According to the article she was, "Brilliant! A breath of fresh air!"

…which probably meant she was smarter than him.

He flipped to the set list.

Not a bad song selection. Mostly popular hits with a few rock classics thrown in. _Disterbia_, _Swing Life Away_, _Higher Ground_ (the Red Hot Chili Peppers version), two songs by that Wutian pop singer he couldn't stand but Genesis was _obsessed_ with, and a few others. He surveyed the stage area and saw the pit orchestra area was full of musicians tuning instruments and testing mikes. He hoped that whoever they had doing vocals didn't butcher any of his favorite songs. How Sephiroth was going to sit through the whole thing and not bitch the entire time was a mystery. He _hated_ this kind of music.

The lighting started to dim and the hum of conversation quieted to the beginning of _Voodoo_ by Godsmack. Their vocalists were actually pretty good. Bonus.

The curtains lifted quickly and silently to reveal two dancers, one female and the other Cloud Strife. Zack watched for a little while, not entirely convinced he was interested in paying attention.

Then Cloud did this _thing_ with his hips, and suddenly Zack was way, way interested. Or at least, a part of his anatomy was way, way interested. Which, in turn, made the rest of him interested.

Other dancers joined in and faded into the background, but the focus was almost always on Strife. He only left the stage to change costume for the next number or what Zack assumed was a short break between one set and the next. Surprisingly, he was glued to the stage for the entire first half and was actually disappointed when the lights came up for intermission.

Sephiroth rose from his seat and quietly excused himself. Zack sighed and leaned back in his seat to stretch. He was pleasantly surprised with the performance. It wasn't what he had been expecting at all, and he was actually enjoying it…not that he would let Sephiroth know that. He planned on complaining about every last detail for the next two weeks at least. Guys like him should _never_ have to go to the ballet…regardless of whether or not it was actually good.

Zack also allowed himself to be impressed with the athletic ability of the little Strife kid. The amount of air time he got on some of his jumps was incredible for a non-mako enhanced person. His sense of balance and speed was remarkable, and Zack couldn't help but think what the kid would look like with a sword in his hand. It would be _beautiful_.

The burnet stood and meandered into the main lobby of the complex, looking for refreshment. One Glenfiddich on the rocks and several Ohmygawd-are-you-really-_Zack Fair_'s later he was back in his seat and scanning the program for the next part of the performance. Sephiroth returned not much later with a bottle of water in hand. The General regained his seat and relaxed back again with his long legs stretched out and crossed in front of him.

Lights dimmed again as the strains of the next number began. Two songs later, and Strife appeared on stage by himself this time. Dressed in a pair of old, torn jeans that were more hole than material and shirtless he looked very…young.

_He looks his age_, Zack thought.

This was obviously a solo, the spotlight was focused solely on the blond dancer as he gracefully moved through _Everything_ by Michael Bublé (kind of cheesy, but whatever. _Ballet_). Zack realized a few measures in that the kid was wearing those pointy slippers that girls usually wore. He expected it to look funny on a guy, but Strife pulled it off really well.

Out of the corner of his eye, Zack caught the movement of the General shifting in his seat. He tilted his head so that he could watch both the dancer and Sephiroth. The silver haired man had leaned forward in his seat; his legs no longer stretched out but curled underneath him as if he was ready to leap out of the box at any moment. He had gripped the railing that lined the top of the wall surrounding their box. It almost looked like he had stopped breathing, so focused was he on the dancer on the stage below them.

That was when Zack realized why they had come here.

Sephiroth totally had it bad for Cloud.

Zack smiled deviously. _Ammunition_ was had. He would use it repeatedly.

TBC…

***************************

So for all the dances that I talked about above, I did a lot of searching on Youtube and came up with a few examples that if you tilt your head, squint, ignore the crappy photography and bad sound quality kind-of-sort-of look like what I envisioned in the story. Is that vague enough for you?

Here is the dance for Disterbia: .com/watch?v=3tgqaJoEVP4

For examples of the dance for Voodoo: .com/watch?v=Ln5UNWL1yGU and .com/watch?v=XvVhFlYGAUA&feature=related. Ever seen a male belly dancer? Go here: .com/watch?v=eM07ccZipbk and .com/watch?v=MgNqGBTTk98&feature=related to see a couple good ones. You can also look up anything about Rachel Brice or Amaru Sabat and watch them to get an idea of what's going through my little head.

Here is the dance for Swing Life Away: .com/watch?v=sEMEgB6uKqo&feature=related

Click here to see examples of the dance to Higher Ground: .com/watch?v=cQg-Joxu4EE and .com/watch?v=W-a8PpHDVRo&feature=related

Beautiful dance to Michael Buble's Everything: .com/watch?v=3sXR0J8lu44. Ok, so the dance wasn't originally for that song, but it IS really pretty.


	2. Chapter 2

Warnings: Very AU, language

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Do not sue, all I got are college loans, and this isn't helping to pay them off.

Summary: Opening night for Midgar Dance Company's newest show may be the beginning of something more than just a hot new act.

The finale came and went and lights came back up. Zack rolled his neck and bounced in place a little to get the blood moving again. He wasn't use to sitting in one spot for so long. An usher appeared at the entrance to their box just as Sephiroth stood and adjusted the fit of his suit jacket.

"I'll escort you back stage if you are ready, sirs?" asked the usher.

Sephiroth nodded and moved forward, Zack trailing along behind in a confused manner.

"I didn't know we were going back stage! Who are we meeting? Is it anyone good? Can I get their autograph? Is it any good if I _did_ get their autograph? Could I sell it on E-Sell for a lot of money? Is there a party? Will there be booze? What-"

"_Zackary_."

Zack huffed and stopped babbling, choosing instead to count the number of women that screamed in that annoying, screeching way every time one of them caught a glimpse of Sephiroth. The halls were packed as the theater emptied and people make their way outside. It took some shoving and elbowing to get to the entrance to the stage area. They finally entered a door that read "Staff and Employees Only" that took a key-card from the usher to open. The halls beyond were very quiet compared to the chaos that they had fought through to get here.

They were lead down several twists and turns to a hallway with several doors set into both sides. The party stopped in front of one door that had a small, gold plaque on the front that read:

_C. Strife_

_Principle, Midgar Dance Company_

_Premier D__anseur Noble_

The usher knocked on the door and then excused himself. From beyond the wood Zack heard a faint and somewhat harried, "Come in!" Sephiroth opened the door and stepped inside, ushering Zack in beside him.

Opening the door, Zack was immediately bombarded with the chatter of a young woman sitting on an ottoman. Cloud was seated on the floor with his right leg extended up into her lap. The sweatpants he was wearing were gathered around his right thigh, showing off a perfectly sculpted calf and a corded, creamy thigh. His chest was bare, and the position in he was in caused his stomach to crunch into delicious, defined detail. Definitely not Zack's type, but that didn't mean he couldn't, ahem, enjoy the view.

"You broke your fourth and fifth metatarsus. These ones here and here," said the woman who looked and sounded like some sweet grade school teacher going over the names of bones in her science class. "These aren't just stress fractures Cloud. These fuckers are _shrapnel_." Ok, not so school teacher anymore. "I don't know how you were walking, let alone freaking _dancing_ for the last half hour. I tooold you not to go en pointe tonight, didn't I? DIDN'T I?!"

"Yes, ma'am," was the sheepish reply. The dancer was pale, sweating, and obviously in pain and trying not to show it.

Zack took a moment to observe the dressing room, and was slightly disappointed. He had been expecting the kind of dressing room you see associated with starlets: a big mirror with lots of lights around it, velvet covered chairs, a huge closet filled with costumes, and vases overflowing with flowers from fans and admirers. This room was, well, pitiful looking. A small dresser was against one wall with an old, cracked mirror propped up on top of it. Various cosmetics were scattered across the top of the dresser as well as bits and pieces of jewelry. One long mirror was situated next to the dresser, but it had obviously not been washed in a long time and grit had built up along the edges. There was the beat-up leather ottoman that was cracked with old age and starting to loose its stuffing from a rip in the bottom. A tall folding screen in the corner was draped haphazardly with costumes that Zack recognized from the show. The room was accented with old rugs that had seen better days, and all Zack could think was, _Ghetto-tastic!._

"Excuse me," interjected Sephiroth quietly. "I'm sorry to disturb you. The director assured me you would be free after the performance, and I am very sorry to see that you are not. Perhaps some other time-"

"Oh. OH!" said Cloud struggling to stand. "I'm so sorry! I thought you were just one of the stage crew, and-"

"Cloud!" snapped the lady dressed in pink scrubs. "Sit!"

Cloud sat.

"And you!" she turned on the interlopers at the door. "I don't know who you are but you're going to have to leave-" She stopped as she fully realized who she was talking to. "Oh, um...ah...Hi?" She waved half-heartedly.

"General...sir...um...Would you like to sit down?" asked Cloud as he waived at two rusted folding chairs leaning against the wall. "I'm sorry about this. When I told the director I could meet with you I was fine, but the second set kind of did me in," he said with a blush, indicating his bruised, broken, and now slowly swelling foot.

Zack grabbed a chair and exclaimed, "Geez! I can't believe you were still functioning with that. Last time I broke my foot-"

"You cried like a baby until I Cured you," Sephiroth said with a smirk and set up one of the chairs. He sat gracefully, as if the seat was a throne and not a metal piece-of-shit folding chair.

"Did not," muttered Zack. His rebuttal decidedly lack luster because, well, it was true.

Cloud smiled shyly and replaced his foot back into the girl's lap.

"I guess introductions are in order," stated the girl as she resumed poking and proding Cloud's foot. "I'm Aeris, the physical therapist and emergency medical technician for the company." She nodded at the two newcomers in welcome.

"As you may already know," Sephiroth said wryly, "I am General Sephiroth. This idiot with me is Zack Fair, SOLDIER 2nd Class."

"Hey! I resemble that remark!"

Aeris giggled and then sighed sadly. "I don't know what I'm going to do with this Cloud. I can't afford a Restore, my budget's gone for this quarter. You'll just have to go on leave until it heals."

"Just wrap it up and give me some pain killers. I'll be fine for the matinee tomorrow."

"_Cloud Strife_! You will absolutely not perform tomorrow. How could you possibly-"

"The company won't shell out for a Restore?" Zack cut in, puzzled.

The dancer and the EMT gave him jaundiced looks.

"Ooookay then," Zack said and rubbed the back of his neck.

Sephiroth raised an inquiring eyebrow. "I would think they would want their star to be well cared for."

Cloud laughed bitterly. "It's cheaper to just get me bandages and pain killers. This isn't the first time this has happened."

"And it's only going to get worse!" exclaimed Aeris. "Every time you do this the bones get weaker and weaker. You need to take some time off!"

"Tell it to the boss, Aeris!" Cloud exploded. Then he sighed and covered his face with his hands. "I'm sorry General, Zack. This isn't what you came to hear."

"Quite alright. You are understandably upset and probably in pain. I would be happy to offer my services to you this evening. I am not in possession of a Restore at this moment, but I would be happy to collect one and use it to Cure your injury," Sephiroth offered quietly and sincerely.

Everyone in the room was quiet, two from shock and the other from suspicion.

"Aaaand, what do you want in exchange?" Aeris asked dubiously.

"Only the chance to watch you dance again, Cloud," Sephiroth's answer was the unfeigned truth. Cloud blushed again and lowered his eyes to the hands that were clutched in his lap.

Aeris huffed. "Fine."

She stood, gently placing Cloud's injured foot on the ottoman. Picking up a dirty napkin she scribbled something on it with a pen that said, "Dirty Rose Motel." She handed the napkin to Sephiroth and set the pen back onto the dresser. "That's the address of Cloud's apartment. Get your materia and meet us there. I'll help Cloud get home."

Sephiroth nodded and stood, folding his chair and leaning it against the wall again.

"Zackary. Come."

Zack glared at being ordered around like that, but folded up his chair and followed anyway. The whole Angeal/Puppy thing was going a _leetle_ too far. He tossed a wink at Aeris before he exited. No harm in a little flirting, after all.

TBC…

**********************

Premier Danseur Noble: The highest rank that can be placed upon a male ballet dancer. The female equivalent is Prima Ballerina Assoluta.


	3. Chapter 3

Warnings: Very AU, language

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Do not sue, all I got are college loans, and this isn't helping to pay them off.

Summary: Opening night for Midgar Dance Company's newest show may be the beginning of something more than just a hot new act.

The limo ride back to the Shinra complex was relatively quiet compared to the ride to the theater. Sephiroth was too deep in thought to bother responding to Zack's constant pestering, and Zack got bored without the sharp comebacks to his crude jokes and opted instead to stare out the window. At the complex, it didn't take long to reach the SOLDIER barracks, the top floor of which was a huge apartment that belonged to Sephiroth, Angeal, Genesis, and very recently Zack. They each had their own room with additional rooms acting as a library, small training room, and two home offices. The place was _massive_. The flat was posh, luxurious, and still not quite 'home' to Zack.

At first it had been like invading sacred space or something. Viewing the private lives of his mentors and superiors was disturbing on many levels. In pubic Sephiroth, Angeal, and Genesis were cold, almost cruel. They lived and breathed fighting, tactics, and pure military professionalism. Once they were in the penthouse, however, they turned into bloody _idiots_.

After morning one, Zack also learned that no-one, _no-one_ should have to deal with Genesis when he just got up in the morning. A little drama queen with your toast anyone?

The burnet heard the sounds of tv and soft conversation coming from Genesis' room and didn't bother to pop in to say hi. The warrior would have already heard their entrance and know they were home.

Zack went to his own room and stripped off the constricting suit, replacing it with his more familiar fatigues and a faded old band tee-shirt that couldn't be read anymore. Combat boots, hidden daggers, and a piece of Bubble-Yum later he was ready to hit the streets again. Sephiroth was just exiting his own room while Zack pocketed his wallet and PHS.

"So where are we going?" Zack asked, trying to steal the folded and stained napkin from Sephiroth's hands.

Too fast for Zack's reflexes, Sephiroth snatched back the napkin. "Who said you were coming?"

"Awww…Seeeeph…"

"Stop acting like you're two and I'll think about it."

Zack pouted momentarily before straightening out his face into a more neutral mask. Pouting counted as two year old behavior…right?

The 2nd Class watched as Sephiroth unlocked the materia cabinet in the main room. It housed all three of the 1st Classes' materia, the shining orbs flickering in the dull light cast by the few overheads that were turned on. Sephiroth was outfitted almost the same as Zack; the only exception being instead of a tee-shirt the General wore one of the standard issue ribbed turtlenecks. The General extracted two mastered Restores and a mastered FullCure, overkill for fixing a broken foot.

"So!" said a happy voice from the hallway. "Did you have fun fangirling all night?" Genesis teased as he swayed into the room, holding his drooping sleep pants up by a tight hold around the hem. Zack always thought Genesis made being a slut look fuckin' _classy_.

He was slightly put off that the 1st Class had already known about Sephiroth's Cloud obsession, but he should have figured that out of anyone it would have been Genesis to have figured it out. It seemed like every one of the First Classes was obsessed with something. Genesis had Loveless and that crappy Wutian singer, Angeal had gardening, Sephiroth had the military in all its aspects, and every other First Class had some fanatical hobby. Zack wondered what his would be.

Probably sex.

"Don't know," Sephiroth dead-panned. "Have fun taking it up the ass all night?"

"It wasn't all night, darling. Poor bastard needed a break at some point." Genesis gestured to a scowling Angeal that was still shrugging into a bathrobe over his (actually tied) sweats. Angeal disappeared into the kitchen and the light was flipped on. Zack could hear the fridge being opened and bottles shuffled around inside.

That was another thing Zack couldn't get use to. Knowing freaking _everything_ about their love lives was, well…ew. Although, the thought of Angeal being all hot and sweaty and dominating and-and-and he should really quit thinking about that.

Genesis, he now knew, was a total flamer once the eyes of the world weren't on him. If it didn't have a cock it didn't exist. He also had no qualms with letting his housemates know in painful detail who (or sometimes what) had been up his ass in the last 24 hours.

Angeal was much quieter, preferring to keep his private life, well…private. Too bad the people in his bed were rarely as silent as the commander was. Zack didn't know what he did to make people sound like that, but he was determined to find out some day. Hopefully from the receiving end. Zack was eternally grateful that Angeal was like him in that he batted for both teams. Maybe someday he could talk him into a threesome with Miss Boobs the choreographer….

_Oh the thrills he could have_.

The 2nd Class had always assumed that Sephiroth was kind of…asexual. He never admitted to any type of attraction, even the platonic type. Zack had never even heard him jerking off in the shower, which, for Genesis, was a nearly operatic event. To have the General taking an interest in anyone or anything outside of the military was unheard of…at least to Zack.

Sephiroth slotted the materia in a bracer on his arm for transportation and re-locked the cabinet. Zack knew he didn't have to equip materia for it to work. The bloody bastard could use _himself_ to equip any type of materia. Jealousy knew no bounds.

Angeal reappeared with a beer in hand and took a long gulp as he reached behind the wall to turn off the kitchen lights. He made a face and glared at the label on the bottle.

"Who bought the cheap shit?"

"That would be Zack," Genesis purred as he leaned against the wall.

Zack looked chagrined and scratched his head. "Well, I drank the last of the pack and figured I'd buy another. Didn't think it would be a big deal." He glared at Genesis, "Snitch."

"Then stop drinking my whiskey, bitch."

"Touché."

Sephiroth was at the door and putting on his boots. "Zackary, are you coming or not?"

"Yes, sir!" Zack waited for the General to finish adjusting those ridiculous boots of his and waved goodbye to his other two mentors.

"Where are you going?" asked Angeal, grimacing as he took another drink from his beer.

"He's got himself a hot date," Zack said mischievously.

Sephiroth glared. "There is no date. I am offering the use of my healing materia for a dancer's broken foot."

"Would the dancer happen to be Cloud Strife?" asked Genesis innocently.

"…yes."

"Oh! It's so romantic! Will you heal him with a kiss? Hold his dainty foot in your hand as you whisper the spell commands? Will you-"

The door was slammed.

******************************

"_This_ is where Cloud lives?" If Zack had thought that the blond's dressing room was ghetto it had _nothing_ on this place.

Sephiroth cut the motor on his bike and reached into a pocket of his fatigues to read the napkin again. "According to this, we are at the correct complex. We're looking for apartment 302." He let down the kickstand on his massive bike and dismounted. Zack recognized the name of the place from the pen Aeris had used earlier, "Dirty Rose Motel." The sign proclaimed, "Monthly rates! Vacancy!"

Zack shut down his own bike and pocketed the keys. He followed the General up two flights of stairs running up the outside of run down motel. Stopping in front of unit 302 the silver haired man knocked politely before stepping back and waiting for the door to be answered. The door was opened after a moment, the chain in place from the inside only allowed for a crack in between the door and the jamb. He saw an eye that probably belonged to Aeris appear in the crack before the door shut again and the sound of the chain scratching through the slot heralded the full opening of the door.

"I can't believe you actually showed up," said the girl as she shut and locked the door behind them. Zack almost told her to not bother, that he and Sephiroth could take on anything from the slums, but decided that she would probably just glare at him and lock it anyway.

A glance around the room revealed a battered dresser, small bed, mini-fridge with a microwave on top, closet, and door that probably led to the bathroom. Cloud was laying on the bed with his foot propped up on a couple of pillows.

And look! Boobs McGee was here! Woot!

…he guessed he should probably call her Tifa.

She was _way_ hotter in person than she was in a photograph. The tight black leather was a definite bonus. He could just see her in the bedroom, whip in one hand, snarling, "Scream for me, _bitch_."

And he would. Repeatedly. With _feeling_.

_Remember to look at her eyes, man. Her_ eyes.

"I always keep my promises," Sephiroth said quietly. He brandished the bracer as proof. Aeris let out a noise of want and grabbed the General's arm to study the materia he brought. Zack picked the least icky place to sit, which happened to be a cheap 70's leftover armchair in mustard yellow. _Snazzy_.

"I'll hold the bones in place, and you cast the spell. Sound good? Great!" Without waiting for a response Aeris sat down on the bed and unwrapped the foot. Tifa was already seated on the bed behind Cloud with his head on her lap, stroking a sweating forehead with a cold rag that she occasionally dipped in a bowl balanced on a small, scuffed bedside table. Cloud opened his eyes blurrily and murmured something unintelligible before closing them again.

"What's up with him?" Zack nodded at the blond. While Cloud had obviously been in pain back at the theater, he hadn't been incoherent.

"I gave him morphine. He shouldn't feel most of this, which makes me feel better. I'm glad he's such a light-weight. I didn't have much left in my supplies."

"So blondie's in La-La land?"

"Preeetty much," she agreed as the final wrapping was pulled off. Zack and Sephiroth both winced at how swollen, bruised, and angry the foot had gotten since they last saw it not long ago.

"And he was going to _dance_ on that tomorrow?"

"Ya. I've seem him do it before. He's got a serious martyr complex."

Tifa took Cloud's head in her hands to keep him from thrashing, while Aeris palpated the foot.

"Why can't you just slap a heal on him and call it good?" Zack said curiously.

Aeris lifted her head to glare a little then resumed her task. "You SOLDIERs might be able to do that, but one misplaced fragment for him could be the end of his career."

"Oh."

"Crap," the woman muttered. "It's so swollen I can't feel anything. Can you just heal the soft tissue damage or is it an all or nothing kind of thing?" she raised her eyes to Sephiroth.

"I could do most of the soft tissue, but don't expect miracles. I'm more competent with combative magics, as you could imagine."

Aeris sighed. "Do what you can then."

Sephiroth removed his ever present black gloves and shoved them in his pocket. Then he unequiped materia from their slots, and held them in his bare right hand. He said nothing at the quizzical looks from Tifa and Aeris and instead closed his eyes and rested his left hand on Cloud's foot. The glow of a Cure being cast brightened the room momentarily before fading out. Sephiroth opened his eyes and stepped back. "See what that did," he motioned to Aeris with the materia filled hand.

Aeris palpated the bones again, and sighed in relief. "I can feel them now and none of them were fused together incorrectly. Good work." She smiled brightly at Sephiroth who continued to stare in his own neutral way.

Her smile disappeared uncomfortably, and she went to work manipulating pieces together. Cloud moaned and his forehead wrinkled in pain.

"Crap." Aeris muttered again. That seemed to be her favorite curse. "Zack, come hold the leg down. The last thing I need is for him to be moving around while I'm doing this."

Zack obeyed, holding the leg in place. He couldn't help but think the little guy was _built_ as he held the appendage still. He could feel the hard, sculpted muscles under his hands tensed in pain. This close, and with the blond's body only half dressed, Zack could see just how thin the kid was. There couldn't have been an ounce of extra fat anywhere. If he had to make a bet, he would say that Sephiroth actually had more body fat than this guy.

"There!" exclaimed Aeris suddenly. "I've got this one in place. Can you target what I have?"

Sephiroth nodded, and together they went through the bone shards. Aeris would line up the pieces like a puzzle and Sephiroth would fuse them together. Several times, a soft tissue Cure needed to take place since manipulating the bone caused the swelling to come back. It could have been minutes or hours later (Zack wasn't sure) that Aeris finally announced that the healing was finished.

The girl slumped into the chair that Zack had used earlier with and exhausted huff. "Maybe since he had a good healing this time the fractures won't come back for awhile. Shiva knows the guy needs _something_ to go right for a change."

Tifa spoke for the first time the whole evening as she gently lifted Cloud's head from her lap and placed it down onto a pillow she slid into her former position. "And you're sure you don't want anything in exchange?" she looked doubtfully at the two SOLDIERS.

"Positive," Sephiroth reassured her. "I only want the opportunity to see Cloud dance again."

"He would have performed anyway," Tifa pointed out.

"But this way, I don't feel guilty about it. I would have felt at fault for not using something readily available to me to ease his pain."

"You know, the _last_ time someone offered Cloud something like this he-"

"Tifa we are _not_ bringing that up. Just drop it," Aeris snapped. Tifa quieted but obviously wasn't done saying her piece if the glare was any indication.

Zack looked between the two tense woman, and couldn't help but fantasize what a cat fight between the two would look like. Ding! Ding! Ding! Naughty Nurse vs. Kinky Dominatrix Round 1! Fight!

"I would ask one thing," Sephiroth said quietly. "I never did get to tell Cloud how much I enjoyed his performance tonight. If you could pass on my thanks I would be appreciative. And," he drew a small piece of paper out of one of his pockets. Zack could see that it was a generic Shinra business card. "if you could give him this. It has my direct line on it. He can feel free to call me any time he is in need of my services again."

Aeris took the card with a small frown, but pocketed it anyway. "I'll give it to him. Thanks for everything."

"My pleasure. Zackary. Come."

Zack really had to speak to Seph about making him heal like a dog.

He shot a charming grin and saucy wink at the ladies and was pleased to see them grin back at him. A jaunty salute followed as he raced out the door Sephiroth had unlocked and strode through without him.

The stairs creaked as they descended, heading back to where their bikes were parked. As he revved the engine and followed Sephiroth into the dark streets of Midgar he knew this wasn't the last he'd see of Cloud and his friends.

And that was great because, well, _boobs_.

TBC…


	4. Chapter 4

Rating: PG so far

Warnings: Very AU, language

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Do not sue, all I got are college loans, and this isn't helping to pay them off.

Summary: Opening night for Midgar Dance Company's newest show may be the beginning of something more than just a hot new act.

Cloud woke up feeling like he was hit by a truck.

Or hungover.

Whatever.

And what the _fuck_ was that incessant noise?

Fucking _alarm clock_.

His arm reached out the throw the sonuvabitch into the wall but instead knocked over a bowl of water sitting on the nightstand and spilling water everywhere. Cursing and peeling his sticky eyes open he surveyed the wet mess that had been made of his bed and floor.

"Cloud?" came a sleepy inquiry.

The blond focused blearily on the figure in the chair next to the bed. "Tifa? Have you been here all night?"

"Ya. So was Aeris until just a little while ago. She wanted to make sure you would sleep off the morphine. When you started waking up she left for work."

"Shit," Cloud muttered for no particular reason. He sat up and rubbed his face, grimacing at the feeling of dried sweat and tears gumming up his cheeks. "I'm disgusting. I'm gonna pop into the shower real quick."

Tifa nodded and yawned hugely, shrugging off the threadbare blanket she had been using. Cloud stood up carefully, testing his foot gingerly.

Surprised, he stood and placed his full weight on the appendage. He did a couple little jumps, waiting for the excruciating pain that usually followed. Nothing came, just the smooth roll of his foot as it reconnected with the floor.

"Awesome," he smiled.

"Ya," Tifa agreed. "He fixed you up pretty good."

"You don't sound to happy about that."

"I'm just worried, Cloud. The last time someone influential and wealthy took this much of an interest in you..."

The blond frowned and shook his head. "Don't go there Tifa. I'm not in the mood."

"This could be dangerous Cloud!"

"So what?! So what if one more thing in my life gets fucked up? Who the fuck cares anymore?"

"I do! I care about you and what happens to you."

"Only because if you don't your career would be over without your fucking star dancer."

Tifa's face dropped. "That was a low blow, Cloud."

"Shit," Cloud mumbled under his breath and fell back onto the bed. "I'm sorry, Tifa. I don't know why I said that." He grimaced and stood up again, grumbling, "Fucking bed's all wet."

Tifa sighed exasperatedly. "I'll clean it up. You get in the shower and get your ass to warm-ups or the boss'll shoot you."

Cloud nodded and shuffled into the dark bathroom, flipping on the dim bulb that hung from the ceiling. He peeled off the sweats he had on and started the shower. The water got lukewarm, the hottest it ever got, and he stepped in. He washed and lathered everything twice, still feeling sticky and ick after one scrubbing. He turned off the water and shook all over to remove as much water as possible. After wrapping a towel around his waist, he sat down on the toilet seat and brushed his hair. It really didn't matter what he looked like when he got to the theater. The makeup and hair department would make him into the Midgar Dance Company's starlet as soon as he got there.

He sighed heavily and stared at the brush in his hands blankly for a few minutes. He couldn't believe what had happened last night. The General, The General had taken an interest in him. The man was the second most influential man on the planet, right beneath Shinra the Senior. Not only had he noticed him, but he had taken it upon himself to _meet_ with him. Then heal him.

Tifa was right. This could be bad.

The blond winced at the remembrance of the last time something like this had happened. It had been a Shinra executive. Not someone of extreme importance, but an executive none the less. He had promised so much: money, health care, a safe, clean place to live, food…and Cloud had fallen for it. He had fallen for it _hard_. He had just once wanted to believe in the goodness of others, in the kindness of strangers…

He had almost been raped for his stupidity.

Cloud knew he had been lucky, _really_ lucky to get out of that situation intact. It was just so hard not to believe the General was just trying to help. That he admired him for his dancing and wanted nothing in return.

But he had learned the hard way that everything had a price.

"You better be ready to go! The bus will be leaving soon and you'll miss your ride if you dick around any longer!"

He needed to get his ass to work.

*******************************

Sitting in his dressing room and slowly cooling down his muscles after the performance, Cloud honestly couldn't remember the last time he had been able to get through a whole act without pain trying to cripple him.

There was a knock at his door and without waiting for a response the person on the other side barged in. It was Tifa and Aeris, who made themselves comfortable on the ottoman and one of the folding chairs.

"Hey," he greeted softly as he switched to another stretching position, hoping to slowly loosen up tensed muscles.

"How are you feeling?" asked Aeris.

"Better than I have in a long time." He was surprised when he actually _meant_ it. He'd been lying to the EMT for so long that he had a veritable _stockpile_ of answers for that particular question.

Aeris took something out of one of the multitude of pockets in her scrub pants and handed him a tiny piece of stiff paper.

He took it and looked at it blankly. "Aeris, could you…please…?"

She smiled a little sadly and took the card back. "It says, 'General Sephiroth, SOLDIER Division, Shinra Electric Company' then it has a phone number on it. He told us last night it was his direct line."

Cloud took the card back and ran a finger over the words that had no meaning to him. Let it be said that his mother was not a stupid woman. When she found out she could no more teach her little boy to read than she could their cat, she found a career for him that didn't require literacy as one of its skills.

Little did she know it got him about as far as anything else would have.

"Thanks, Aeris."

She nodded.

"You're…not going to contact him are you?" Tifa questioned, a worried look on her face.

Cloud pondered the card for a moment and then placed it on the floor by where he was sitting. "No…no I won't. I don't have any need to."

Tifa breathed out in relief. "Good. I'll see you later, I have a few new dances to perfect before I go home tonight."

"'Kay," Cloud said as he resumed stretching. They usually spent the evenings together, since their apartments were right next to each other after all.

Aeris said her goodbyes and left as well, leaving Cloud alone in the dressing room. He huffed as he moved from his current pose and flopped down onto the ottoman after snatching up the card from the floor.

He stared at the piece of paper for a long time, much like he had stared at his hairbrush earlier that day. He was, like, starting to develop a problem or something. What the fuck was up with all the staring into space in the last day?

…what would it hurt if he _did_ call him?

There were worse things than being the boytoy for someone like Sephiroth. If that was what the General wanted. Wants. Whatever.

Maybe…that's not what he wanted at all.

But even if it was…ya. Definitely worse things. Like, knowing that when he got home there wouldn't be any food and he didn't have any money to get any. Like, knowing that there would never _be_ anything better than what he had now. Like, knowing he owed his freaking _soul_ to Shinra, courtesy of his mother.

Debt. Mountains of it had buried the Strife household. She couldn't afford to send him to school. She couldn't afford to feed him. She couldn't put him into a good job when he got older since her son had to be…_special_. So she did the only thing she could. Ms. Strife had pulled her tiny son away from playing house with his friend Tifa, marched up to the Shinra office in Nibelheim, and asked what it would take to get her son into the best dance academy the world had to offer. He had talent she told them. Lots of talent! He was a prodigy!

She signed a paper that said Shinra would pay for all of his boarding and school fees. However, Cloud was now a ward of Shinra and he belonged to them completely until he was able to pay back the debt collected during his schooling.

Cloud only counted himself as a lucky bastard in that he really _had_ been a good dancer, even as a small child. He didn't even want to think about what would have happened to him if he had sucked…

So Shinra _owned_ his ass nine ways to Sunday, and now he worked at the Shinra owned Midgar Dance Company pulling in thousands and thousands of gil every night of which only a small handful actually went to paying off the debt and keeping him alive.

What would it matter if Cloud became the pampered pet of the General? It wasn't like it could be totally terrible. Ok, so the first guy was kind of a creep…well…he was more than a creep but who's keeping track? It wouldn't be so bad to _be with_ Sephiroth would it? He was handsome, obviously polite…

Rich.

Famous.

Yes. There were worse things in life.

Cloud stood and went in search of the house phone.

TBC….


	5. Chapter 5

Pairings: Sephiroth/Cloud

Rating: PG so far

Warnings: Very AU, language

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Do not sue, all I got are college loans, and this isn't helping to pay them off.

Summary: Opening night for Midgar Dance Company's newest show may be the beginning of something more than just a hot new act.

Numbers were easier for Cloud than letters as long as he concentrated really hard. He just had to make sure that he hit the numbers on the phone in the same sequence as the numbers on the card.

It would have been a whole lot easier if the numbers would stay in _one Godsdamned place_ and stop mixing up with each other as he tried to read them. Three unsuccessful attempts and one memorized phone number later the phone started ringing. Cloud held his breath, almost cuddled into the wall the phone hung on trying to get as much privacy as he could in the busy hallway.

"Sephiroth speaking."

"Um…Hi. It's Cloud."

"Cloud? Cloud Strife?"

"Uhh…ya."

"It's good to hear from you. How are you feeling?"

"That's actually what I was calling about. I wanted to thank you for what you did. I…I haven't felt this good in a long time."

"Wonderful."

There was an awkward pause.

"Would you…" Cloud cleared his throat. "Would you like to come to the performance tomorrow night? As a thank you, I mean. I mean, I could get you back stage to watch the dances. And you could watch. From backstage." He sounded like freaking _tard_. The blond banged his head on the wall.

"I would love to."

"…really?"

"Of course. I've always been interested in how a show runs from backstage."

"I'll leave a pass for you at Will-Call then."

"Thank you Cloud. I will see you tomorrow evening."

"Ya. See ya."

Total _score_.

******************************

"Sephiroth!" Cloud yelled over the din of dancers, stage hands, and dozens of other people to the silver haired man standing in his own little bubble of silence near the entrance to the hallway. Everyone was giving the warrior a ten foot radius, leaving him in a cone of calmness in the otherwise hectic area.

Sephiroth smiled and advanced on Cloud, the bubble following him as he went.

"What's _he_ doing here?" hissed Tifa. She had been going over last minute set changes with the dancers before Cloud had seen the General looking a little lost as he entered the backstage pandemonium.

"I invited him."

"What-"

Cloud bounded away before Tifa could rant at him. She could bitch all she wanted. She didn't have millions of gil to pay back to Shinra.

"Hey! I'm glad you made it."

"As am I," Sephiroth nodded his head. He took a moment to view the costume the young dancer wore. It was the belly-dancing outfit for the first song, and he had to admit it looked even better up close than it did from the box seats. The black and gold gauze contrasted so perfectly with the dancer's skin. A gold belt of hammered coins chimed softly as he moved, hips swaying to a beat only Cloud to hear. The finger cymbals were clutched in one hand, and the blond was nervously clanging them together in a decidedly unconscious way. His face was heavily plastered in stage makeup, and the General found himself preferring the dancer without all the paint. He did, however, really like the thick, dark lines painted around Cloud's eyes. Sephiroth could also see the dusting of shimmering gold powder spread over taut skin and muscles.

Appreciation. He had it.

"You can hang out over there," Cloud pointed to a corner tucked between the pulley ropes for the curtains and an awkward jutting of the wall. "You won't get trampled that way, and you can still see almost everything. Tifa usually stands there, but she's going to be in the audience tonight watching the set changes."

"Set changes? Opening night was just two days ago."

"Tifa doesn't mess around. Once she decides she doesn't like something she changes it immediately, usually for the better. That's why she's the best."

"I'll take your word for it."

"Well…I'll talk you later then?" it came out more of a question than he had intended.

"Yes. I'll be here for the entire performance."

"Great!" Cloud beamed as he hurried back to the pre-show talk through. Sephiroth settled himself into the corner and watched the proceedings with true interest. It was amazing to him how insane the backstage area was compared to the calm, composed front that was presented to the audience.

"TWO MINUTE WARNING!" bellowed someone from the other side of the stage. Tifa clapped her hands and left for the audience, leaving the director as the only person to tame the disorder. Luckily, the guy was the director for a reason and put everyone in their places in no time. Cloud and the female (who Sephiroth assumed was the female lead) from opening night were placed on the stage, posed and perfect.

The music started and the curtain rose.

**************************

Sephiroth had seen more naked people tonight than he had in his entire career in the army. It was _insane_ how fast these people could strip and put on an entirely new costume. He had never really thought about what it took for Cloud or the corps to do a costume change so quickly between one song and the next. Granted, there was a little pause between each song, but that miniscule 30 seconds didn't mean much. There was an entire set of people dedicated to ripping clothing off of dancers and putting more on them. There was another set of people to fix makeup and hair. There was yet another set of people moving background, opening and closing curtains, and flipping a hundred switches that seemed to do nothing.

It kind of reminded him of tire changes at car races.

He also hadn't realized quite how beautiful the dancing could be when one viewed it up close. Cloud wasn't the only talented dancer in the group, and the General watched in near awe at the perfect coordination, timing, and athletic talent that had been amassed on the stage.

The General never really understood what drew him to the art of dance. He had been attracted to it as soon as he had seen his first person dance. It had been a Wutian geisha at a tea house in some town his army had overrun in the name of Shinra. He didn't remember the name of the town or the dancer herself, but he did remember how her movements had struck him as the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

He'd been obsessed ever since.

Cloud was like the fulfillment of that obsession. The dancer had originally been of interest because of his notoriety in the ballet world. He was the best of the best, the star of every ballet he showed in. Then he started branching out into other forms of dance. It was odd to see a dancer so well versed in multiple forms of the art, and even more startling to see one that had mastered almost every type he had come across. In Cloud, Sephiroth could watch any type of dance he wanted to, and Cloud would _own_ it. It was like a dream come true.

If only everything in life could be so beautiful.

The end of show met with roaring applause. The final bows were completed and the curtains closed. It seemed like every dancer and stage hand collectively blew out a sigh of relief over another performance done. Everyone started to file off the stage or start cleaning up costumes, makeup, and brushes. Some of the dancers took the time the stretch out slowly for a cool down. Cloud made his way to the General, a small limp noticeable in his step.

"You're foot?" Sephiroth questioned, a look of worry on his face.

"Naw," Cloud brushed it off. "Just a cramp in my thigh. I'll stretch it out in my dressing room. Would you like to join me?"

"Of course."

A short trip later and they were comfortably ensconced in the warm, if shabby room. The dancer moved behind the folding screen and striped off his costume for the last number and donned a pair of sweats. He then moved to the dresser and used a few baby wipes to remove the worst of the makeup, leaving the rest until he could shower at home. All the while Sephiroth lounged on the ottoman contentedly. Cloud was surprised that the silence between them was more comfortable than awkward.

Cloud flopped on the ground and tried for a position to stretch out the complaining muscle. He settled for laying on his back, one leg flat on the floor and the other raised above his body. He grabbed the leg and pulled back slowly, hoping the cramping would loosen soon.

"Could I help you in anyway?"

Cloud's eyes widened before he managed to stutter, "I-I um y-yea. Just, um, if you could, well-"

"This is not so different than any of the stretching I require of my troops during practice." Sephiroth slid off the ottoman and straddled the leg Cloud had flat on the ground. The blond gulped loudly. The warrior took hold of the other leg with one hand on the calf and the other on the thigh and gently pushed, bobbing the leg a little to loosen the thigh muscles running along the back of the leg.

Cloud almost forgot to breathe, but his body reminded him with a burning in his lungs that required a sharp intact of breath. The older man's hands were so strong but tender at the same time.

Slowly, his muscles relaxed and the mild bobbing of the leg brought the appendage closer and closer to Cloud's chest. The leg hit his chest and Cloud shifted a little to let the leg slide to the side until it lay partially on the ground. Cloud had raised his arm on that side to allow space for the leg, and it lay relaxed above him, fingers curled into his palm.

Still straddling the other leg, Sephiroth was now completely covering Cloud. He had placed one hand braced on the floor on the opposite side of Cloud's head from the leg for balance. The other still held tension on the calf, holding it pinned to the floor. The position brought their groins within millimeters of one another. The dancer could feel the heat of the other man through his pants.

Cloud's eyes were half-lidded and he was breathing hard. Sephiroth's eyes had dilated and darkened. The silver haired man released the leg. Still trapped beneath the elder man, Cloud didn't have anywhere to put the appendage and without something holding it in place the muscles and tendons pushed it back up…to hook over Sephiroth's shoulder.

The General took in a deep, steadying breath.

They stared at each other for what seemed like years before the older man leaned down that fraction of an inch more to press them together completely. Cloud's breath hitched and his eyelids drooped but did not close. He was still relaxed, one arm overhead and the other at his side. For some reason he didn't feel threatened or trapped. It was comforting almost. He watched as Sephiroth leaned a little more, bringing their lips within brushing distance. The blond took a deep breath and tilted his chin up a little.

Their lips touched, just for a moment.

And the door flew open with a harsh b_**BANG**_/b.

Operation Seduction: _Massive Fail_

TBC…


	6. Chapter 6

Pairings: Sephiroth/Cloud

Rating: PG so far

Warnings: Very AU, language

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Do not sue, all I got are college loans, and this isn't helping to pay them off.

Summary: Opening night for Midgar Dance Company's newest show may be the beginning of something more than just a hot new act.

A/N: I know that the characters of FFVII don't have a Jesus, or a Christ, but I just _had_ to use those words. I've been trying to avoid them and I _failed_ _massively_. Also, I'm using characters from Kingdom Hearts. Why? Because I'm a lazy bastard and don't want to come up with my own characters. I'm not incorporating anything from KH, just the characters and their personalities.

"What. The. _Fuck_?"

Sephiroth moved off Cloud in one smooth, hurried glide.

Cloud covered his face with his hand and groaned. "Tifa-"

"No. No Cloud. That was _exactly_ what it looked like. Don't even start giving me some kind of line."

"Actually, I was going to say this isn't any of your business."

The brunette sat in the doorway, stunned. Then, with a look of hate at Sephiroth she turned around and slammed the door behind her.

"I don't wish to cause any strife between you and your friends," the General said quietly.

Cloud sat up with a huge sigh. He crossed his legs, and, with his elbows planted on his knees, buried his face in his hands. "Tifa is just over protective. Sometimes she just cares _too_ much. She can be so…_stifling_."

This time the silence between them was uncomfortable unlike the easy peace of earlier.

"Listen-"

"I-"

They both tried to speak at the same time. Cloud laughed nervously and Sephiroth fidgeted with his gloves.

"Would you like to go to dinner?" Sephiroth asked suddenly, in a hurried rush of words.

"Um…sure?" Cloud phrased it more as a question, not really knowing what he wanted to do.

"Would you like to dress before we leave?"

Cloud remembered that he was only dressed in sweats. He usually just threw on a pair with a tee-shirt when he was traveling back and forth from the theater. The dancer didn't even know if he _had_ normal clothing here. He was going to look like a _sleaze_ _ball_ dressed like that if they went out to dinner.

"I…need to find something to wear. I'll be right back." The dancer sprung from the floor and bolted out the door, sprinting down hallways and around corners, hoping against hope that Zexion was still here. The two were the same size, and the other dancer always had _something_ fashionable adorning his person. And luckily the blue haired dancer had his own dressing room instead of having to share the locker rooms. There's something to be said about having a rich mommy and daddy that owned most of the non-Shinra companies in Midgar. In fact, they funded the building of the theater. The detail that their baby wasn't the star of the show rubbed them the wrong way for several months. Zexion didn't really give a shit. He just wanted to dance on a stage; he didn't care if he did it as the lead or in the corps.

Back in Cloud's dressing room, Sephiroth was left hanging. He decided to settle with being a nosy bastard and go through Cloud's stuff.

The door slammed open to Zexion's dressing room and Cloud panted on the other side. The room was about the same size as Cloud's, but it was furnished with new, posh furniture and decor. It was the kind of dressing room Zack had been expecting when he walked into Cloud's.

"I have a date and I don't know what to _dooooo_!" Cloud whined as Zexion jumped and placed his hand over his now rapidly beating heart.

"Christ Cloud! Give me a fucking _heart_ _attack_."

"Help me! All I have is skanky sweats and wife beaters and _I need to look pretty_."

"Fucking drama queen." Zexion stood from his seat at the beautiful, dark wood vanity and shoved Cloud down into the velvet seat. "Sit here and stop hyperventilating. _Jesus_."

The blue haired man rummaged through the dresser that matched the vanity for anything that would be good first date material.

"Do you know where you're going?"

"To dinner."

"Ya, but where?"

"Oh _Gods_. I don't know. I didn't ask. I just panicked and ran here."

Zexion sighed. "That's going to make this _so_ much easier." He rummaged a little more. "Here. Put these on." A armful of clothing was shoved at Cloud and the blond immediately stripped and donned the items.

"Are you sure these are supposed to be so tight? I feel like a skag."

"Cloud they're fucking _leather_ _pants_. They only come in one variety. _Tight_."

Black boots and a blue silk button-up completed the outfit. "That should be good no matter where you go. Let me fix you face and hair. You look like you just walked off stage."

"I _did_."

"Well you don't have look like it."

Zexion finished the job Cloud had started of removing the stage makeup. He left the mascara and eyeliner. A quick flat iron through Cloud's spikes and the blond was ready to go.

"You have no idea how much I owe you."

"Tell me who you're going out with and I'll call us even."

Cloud blushed. "General Sephiroth."

The other dancer's jaw dropped. "For _serious_?"

"Totally for serious."

"If I was gay I would be absolutely green with envy. As a straight man, I'm totally _green_ _with_ _envy_. Christ Cloud! That's huge!"

"I know and I have to _goooo_."

"Fine! Get the fuck outta here! Tell me all the sordid details later!"

Cloud ran out of the room and flew back down the hallways to his dressing room, hoping that he looked hot enough to not look like an idiot next to the ultimate in hotness. He stopped just down the hall from his room and tried to catch his breath. Once he had calmed a bit, he headed to the door and opened it. Sephiroth was sitting on the ottoman, reading through one of the several months old magazines Cloud had stacked in one of the dresser drawers.

The bastard had _gone through his stuff_.

"Find anything good?" Cloud asked, a tinge of sarcasm in his voice.

"All you have is old magazines and sweat pants."

Cloud let out a huge breath and flopped his arms at his sides. He was right.

"Let's go."

Sephiroth stood and placed the magazine back in the dresser drawer. He turned around to take in Cloud's attire and smiled almost shyly. If the General could do shy.

"You look…wonderful."

Cloud blushed heavily. "Um, thanks. I guess."

***************************

A fucking _awesome_ motorcycle ride later brought them to some high-class restaurant on the upper plate. The blue neon letters in front said, "SOLDIERs of Fortune." …not that Cloud could read the sign anymore than he could read anything else.

They parked the bike in the back of the restaurant and walked around front to the entrance. "An old friend of mine owns this place. He had to retire from SOLDIER due to injury, and he opened this up not long after he left."

The inside was very dark with neon blue lights strategically placed so you wouldn't trip over something. From below he could hear the pulsing base of what was probably a dance club. There was a set of stairs to the left with a long, long line of people crowded behind a velvet rope that lead down into darkness. Otherwise the building seemed to be pretty quiet, only the occasional clang of silverware or glassware and the soft murmur of conversation could be heard.

"There's a club downstairs," Sephiroth said, confirming Cloud's suspicion. "The restaurant's on this floor."

They approached the host station and waited their turn as several people were turned away. "Are we going to be able to get in?" Cloud worried when the third couple left after a brief and heated conversation with the host.

"Watch." Sephiroth took his turn at the counter, smiling at the man behind the computer. "I would like a table for two, secluded."

The host's eyes widened and he frantically starting clicking and typing on the computer. "Of course sir. Absolutely. Let me make sure the table is prepared satisfactorily. I will return shortly." The man fled into the restaurant area which was hidden from the reception desk with large black folding screens with geometric patterns cut into them.

The man returned only a minute later with two menus held in hand and a gracious smile on his face. "If you would follow me?"

Sephiroth and Cloud followed the man through the restaurant to a back corner. A comfortable U-shaped booth was set up there. It was obviously meant for more than two people, but Cloud guessed that this was probably the only "secluded" table available.

They sat, scooting around the table to sit against the wall at the back. Cloud shyly shifted the little bit closer that let their legs rest along one another. Sephiroth smiled and laid one hand on Cloud's thigh and accepted the menu with the other. Cloud smiled back and reached for his own menu. Ya, there were worse things in life than being wined and dined by Sephiroth.

"Your server will be with you momentarily. Can I get a drink order for you while you wait?"

Sephiroth ordered a wine Cloud had never heard of before.

Cloud got water.

The host nodded and excused himself.

Sephiroth opened his menu and started perusing it. Cloud opened his and stared blankly at the letters that moved all over the page when he tried to make sense of them.

"What are you getting?" Sephiroth asked with a gentle squeeze to Cloud's thigh. Cloud blushed at the continued contact. With the rate he was blushing, he wouldn't have any blood left to fill his cock if this date went the way he wanted it to.

"I…I don't know." A moment of brilliance. "Why don't you order for me? I've never been here and I don't know what's good."

"Are you sure?"

"Ya," Cloud nodded emphatically.

"Alright. But no complaining later if you don't like it." Sephiroth eyed him up and down momentarily. "Do you _ever_ eat? Or do you live on water and air?"

"I eat!" Not often. "I just get really busy and forget sometimes." He couldn't afford food. "I'm not like, anorexic or anything." He had been when eating had been an option while he lived at the dance academy.

"Allergic to anything?"

That was an odd question. "Ahh…dogs?"

"I meant food wise. I don't want to get you shellfish if you're going to go into shock or something."

"Oh! Oh, no I'm not. Just don't get anything huge or deep fried. I get sick if I eat too much after performing and deep fried stuff makes me gag." Plus _calories_.

Sephiroth nodded, and their waiter showed up with their drinks.

TBC….


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter: 7/?

Pairings: Sephiroth/Cloud

Rating: PG-13 this chapter

Warnings: Very AU, language

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Do not sue, all I got are college loans, and this isn't helping to pay them off.

Summary: Opening night for Midgar Dance Company's newest show may be the beginning of something more than just a hot new act.

The food was i_amazing_/i. Cloud had almost forgotten what it was like to eat something that didn't have the word "Ramen" on the front. His first bite of the small steak Sephiroth had ordered for him made him moan. He didn't even try to stifle it. He fucking i_moaned_/i, loud and appreciatively. He licked the fork of any steak residue before going in for another bite. It was a perfect medium rare filet, wrapped in thick, flavorful bacon. There were mushrooms on top of it that had been marinated in i_something_/i dark and rich that made them so savory he could only eat a small bite at a time or be overwhelmed. He was pleased that the flavor of the steak wasn't overshadowed by the mushrooms or the bacon, only complimented. The baked potato that came with it was good, but had too much crap on it. He scraped off the sour cream, butter, and bacon and ate it plain. Their appetizers had been shrimp wrapped in pancetta and grilled on skewers. The salad had been cool and crisp with a homemade blue-cheese dressing and warm, buttery croutons. i_Heaven_/i.

Cloud couldn't remember the last time he had eaten so much. Had he ever? When he lived with his mother, food was scarce. When he lived at the dance academy, food had been the enemy. Now, food was not an option. No wonder he was so fucking short. He was i_deprived_/i.

Sephiroth outright laughed at Cloud when he moaned. He put an arm around Cloud's shoulder and leaned in to whisper in his ear, "Do that too many times and we may need to leave early."

Cloud choked on his steak, coughing harshly and covering his mouth with his napkin. Then he laughed too, still coughing occasionally, leaning in to feel Sephiroth against him. "I bet it was sexy to watch me choke on my food."

"Everything you do is sexy," Sephiroth complimented, brushing his lips over Cloud's ear. The General was getting more and more free with his affections as the evening went on. Cloud had expected to be weirded out, but he actually i_enjoyed_/i being the center of the silver haired man's attention. Even the touching and sexual innuendo were welcome. He did, however, feel kind of…

Sephiroth licked along the side of his jaw.

…slutty.

**********************************

Cloud was exceedingly grateful when Sephiroth paid the tab without even blinking. He didn't know what he would have done if he had done something like…handed the check to him. Probably cried.

As it was, the General had put a i_huge_/i fucking amount of gil in the little leather holder. Then it hit him with force: They had just spent an entire i_months_/i worth of money on one meal. Sweet Gaia.

They scooted back out of the booth and walked toward the entrance. Cloud could feel the pounding of the base again from the club area. He paused at the top of the stairs that lead down into the club.

"Do you want to go?" Sephiroth hugged him from behind, arms crossed and hand resting on his hipbones. His pointed chin rested on the top of blond spikes. Cloud thought the position was awfully familiar for two people who had only just met a couple days ago, but couldn't bring himself to protest.

Cloud sighed as he surveyed the huge line to get in, which was even longer than when they had first arrived. Now, it went out the front door and probably extended around the building. "Naw. We'll have to wait i_forever_/i."

"Not if you want to go in."

Cloud tilted his head back to look at the bottom of Sephiroth's chin. "That would be awesome."

"Come on then." Sephiroth released his hold on the blond and led him down the stairs, past the line of people that were crowded against the wall. Some of them glared. Others looked at them smugly, knowing they would be told to get in the back of the line just like they had.

Sephiroth shook hands with the bouncer, and they were in the door. The portal opened and the dancer was assaulted with the blaring music. The base pounded through his body, a physical sensation he rarely experienced despite all the dancing he did. This part of the building was also decorated and blue and black just like the restaurant.

"Did your friend only know two colors or something?" Cloud shouted over the music.

Sephiroth smiled in the darkness and yelled back, "He figured that since he spent most of his military career black and blue the rest of his life should reflect that. Pretty cheesy, but it worked out pretty good."

"Ya," Cloud agreed. He liked the way the blue lights turned Sephiroth's hair a cool shade of metallic cerulean. He kind of looked like a long haired, tall Zexion.

"Do you want to dance or go to the bar?" Sephiroth waved in the direction of a bar with all the bottles backlit with a blue glow.

"Dance?"

"Sure."

The music was so loud Cloud couldn't figure out what song was playing. It all blurred into one throbbing beat that the dancer felt through his whole body. They found a spot on the dance floor that, while still packed, at least allowed them room to move. Sephiroth pulled Cloud into the curve of his body, back to front. Cloud let the rhythm guide him and moved.

Everything disappeared except the feeling of Sephiroth against his back. He was surprised at how well the other man followed him as he moved. It was probably all the sword training. Cloud shifted and Sephiroth was there, moving with him to the beat. It felt like his hands were everywhere, covering Cloud from face to hips. The taller man's hips were pressed into his ass, moving in sync. The dancer let himself go, falling into the heavy thud of the bass and the heat of so many bodies around them.

It must have been a long time later that Cloud came out of his near-trance. He was tired, sweating heavily and trying to ignore how fucking i_hot and bothered_/i the other man had him.

He turned around and pressed himself into the taller man, reaching up to yell into his ear over the deafening music. "Are you ready to go?"

"Sure," was the shouted response.

It was almost painful to separate their bodies. Cloud felt cold and little lost without the hard heat of Sephiroth pressed against his back. He smiled as the General held tight to his hand and stayed as close as possible as they threaded through the crowd. Apparently he wasn't the only one with separation anxiety.

The door to the stairway opened and Cloud took a deep breath of cool air. It had been so stifling in the club with all the bodies in the small space. His legs felt watery as he ascended the stairs. After a performance and then several hours of dancing his body was telling him to fuck off, it was going to bed.

They exited and started around the side of the building to the parking lot where the motorcycle was. Cloud could see the lightening of the sky in the distance that signaled the rising of the son. Had they really been dancing that fucking long? i_Christ_/i.

"So…" Sephiroth started as they reached the bike. He pulled the helmet Cloud had been using out of a storage compartment and fiddled with it, stalling. "Do you want me do take you home…or…"

"Or?"

"Well," Sephiroth looked at Cloud. "We could…both…go back to my place."

Cloud sucked in a huge breath and let it out in a long, loud huff. "Ya, we could do that."

"Could or should?"

"I, well, um…" Cloud couldn't take it. He felt like such a fucking selfish i_bitch_/i. This guy was being so great. Sure, he was a little handsy, but he'd been the perfect gentleman all night. He was polite, he held his hand, he bought him dinner, and now he was giving him a i_choice_/i as to whether or not Cloud wanted to sleep with him. "I'm so i_sorry_/i," he belted out all at once.

Sephiroth looked very puzzled. "For…?"

"I'm just fucking i_using_/i you!" Cloud confessed, flopping onto the seat of the motorcycle and hiding his face in his hands. "I just wanted to use your money and your connections to make my problems disappear. And now that I've met you, and know how fucking i_nice_/i you are, and how sweet you are, and how perfect you are, and-" he was stopped by a set of lips that had aimed between his protecting hands to gently kiss him.

His arms flew to the side in startlement, grasping for anything to keep him from falling backward off the bike. He jerked his head back and stared in wide-eyed wonder at the silver haired man in front of him. Instead of anger or disappointment he saw calm, passive…happiness?

"So, in other words," Sephiroth said, still very close to Cloud, "you realized that you liked me and couldn't do something to hurt me."

"…ya."

Sephiroth smiled and leaned in to brush against Cloud's lips again. "I like you to," he said as he moved back a couple millimeters to speak.

They stared at each other for a few moments.

Cloud broke the silence. "Let's go back to your place."

TBC….


	8. Chapter 8

Pairings: Sephiroth/Cloud

Rating: PG-13 this chapter

Warnings: Very AU, language

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Do not sue, all I got are college loans, and this isn't helping to pay them off.

Summary: Opening night for Midgar Dance Company's newest show may be the beginning of something more than just a hot new act.

Cloud clung tightly to Sephiroth as he weaved through traffic on the way to the Shinra headquarters. _This_ was terribly exciting, leading Cloud to let out some very embarrassing whoops of delight when Sephiroth turned a sharp corner at high velocity or accelerated rapidly. Sephiroth only laughed, continuing on his way.

Weaving though towering scrapers brought them to the entrance to a parking garage under the complex of buildings that made up Shinra. Sephiroth scanned a card he pulled out of his pocket and the mechanical arm blocking their path was raised. Sephiroth pulled into the concrete structure, obviously knowing where he was heading instead of dicking around and looking for an open spot. He pulled into a space next to the elevators with a plaque hanging on the wall that read:

_Sephiroth_

_General, Shinra Inc._

_Reserved Parking Only_

He had is own parking space?! How fucking cool was _that_? Cloud read the plaques on the other spaces nearby that were filled mostly with monster bikes like Sephiroth's, but there were a few luxury cars and SUV's thrown into the mix. _Genesis_ _Rhapsodos. Angeal Hewley, Rufus Shinra_, fucking _President Shinra_?!

Sephiroth dismounted and pulled Cloud off the bike. The dancer groaned as his tired, sore legs protested being in the same position for as long as the ride here had taken them. He shook himself out a little and removed the helmet Sephiroth insisted Cloud wear.

"Why do I have to wear one and you don't?" Cloud had whined.

"Because my brains won't become a skid mark if I crash the bike," was the response.

Cloud had put the helmet on.

Sephiroth returned the helmet to the appropriate compartment and took Cloud's hand to lead him to the proper elevator. There were several elevators lined up within their own little glass room. Inside the room was expensive red carpet and sweet smelling air that unclogged his nostrils of the diesel and dirt smell of the rest of the parking complex. Sephiroth accessed one elevator that said, "One Stop, SOLDIER barracks," over the top. There were others that said things like "Multiple Stop" and "Main Tower, East Tower, West Tower" and on and on...There had to be more elevators here than Cloud had seen in his entire life.

The light on their elevator brightened with the charming little "Ding!" noise that all elevators made. The doors slid open and they boarded, Sephiroth immediately taking advantage of Cloud's nearness and wrapping his arms around him. Cloud sighed and leaned into the embrace, emotionally and physically exhausted and ready for sleep. But he had wanted to...well...you know...with the silver haired God. Maybe...if they took a nap first.

Cloud was all but snoring as they reached their destination and the elevator dinged again. Cloud shook himself awake and Sephiroth chuckled a little.

"One more ride to go and then we'll be there."

"How far away _is_ your place," came the grumpy reply.

"I'm in the penthouse of the SOLDIER barracks."

"Oh." A heartbeat. "Wait, _penthouse_?"

"I share it with three other guys," Sephiroth tried to brush it off.

"_Penthouse_." Reiterated Cloud.

"Top floor apartment," Sephiroth clarified.

"Pent. House."

"Loft!"

Sephiroth pulled Cloud into another elevator, ceasing the conversation. This time the General had to swipe his card near the row of buttons. One button previously unlit was now brightened and he punched that one. Cloud hit it two more times for good measure.

The doors finally opened again and Cloud stepped into...a freaking penthouse. It was decorated all in black and red. The place was the most modern and expensive place Cloud had ever seen. He expected someone from _Cribs_ to step out of one the rooms and start a narrative. The overhead lights were all off, leaving only the illumination from several rows of display cases set up here and there around the room. Some housed odd weapons, one was the materia cabinet, and others held random figurines and other crap Cloud didn't recognize.

The wall in front of him was one huge window divided up into multiple panes. One of the panes had a door set into it that lead out onto a balcony that ran around the entire floor, and the square footage of which was bigger than Cloud's whole apartment.

The sun could be seen rising from this view, so high atop the plate. Sephiroth was used to _getting up_ at this time of day, not going to bed. He figured calling in yesterday before going to the show to watch Cloud and cancelling his appointments had been a good idea.

To the right was the entrance to what Cloud suspected was the kitchen judging by the pass through window in the wall and the dining set that stood next to it. In front of him was the living room and to the left was a hallway with multiple doors. Just the living room was larger than some _theaters_ he had danced in.

_I am so far out of my league_.

Cloud was now terribly embarrassed that Sephiroth had seen his place.

Sephiroth tugged on Cloud's hand and lead him down the hallway...just as one of the other doors opened.

Genesis came out of his room and stared blearily at Sephiroth and Cloud for a moment before his eyebrows drew together in puzzlement. The red-head pointed a finger at them, "Now I know I'm not awake yet. There's _no way_ I'm seeing you about to get laid. I'm gonna go wake up again." Genesis turned around and closed the door behind him.

Cloud pressed a hand to his mouth to contain his laughter.

Sephiroth shook his head and pulled Cloud into a different room farther down the hallway. The General flipped on the lights and Cloud blinked in the sudden brightness after the dark of the hallway. It was and wasn't everything Cloud had expected. Huge bed: check. Ugly quilt on bed: Wuh? Polished hardwood floors: check. Mismatching tattered rugs covering beautiful floors: Huh? Perfect matching furniture: check. Walls cluttered with massive amounts of unframed, stuck-up-with-tacks photography: What?

"You look confused."

Cloud peered around a little more and turned to his date. "I guess I kind of am."

"Go feel the blanket."

"Wuh?"

"Just do it."

Cloud let go of Sephiroth's hand and slowly approached the huge bed with its massively ugly quilt. He ran his hand along the top and gasped. "Soft!" Each panel was a different kind of soft; one was like skimming his hand along the top of a still pool of water, one was like a rabbit's pelt, one was fuzzy like a teddy bear, one was fine, expensive silk.

"Smell it."

Cloud layed down on the blanket and burrowed his face into the perfect softness, "Mmm...fresh bread."

The softness and comforting smell induced Cloud into an almost sleep that he was lifted out of a little as Sephiroth settled on the bed next to him.

"Do you want to sleep a little?"

"Mmmm..." was Clouds intelligent response. "Ya, but not in these pants."

The General chuckled. "I've slept in leather many times before. I'll have to agree with you that it's not comfortable. You can wear some of my sleep pants."

The General stood up and rummaged through one of the expensive wardrobes. "Here," he threw a pair of pants on top of Cloud. "Put those on."

Cloud blinked sleepily, not really wanting to leave the feather softness of the blanket but did as he was told. He stripped down to nothing and donned the sleepwear without second thought. He was so use to being naked in front of people that he didn't even blink.

Sephiroth, however, enjoyed his eyeful.

The dancer wiggled his toes into one of the rugs underneath his feet and sighed happily. Soft, like the quilt. Warm and thick, it was much better than the cold floor to cuddle his unprotected feet into. Dressed in too big pants Cloud flopped back onto the mattress, rolling himself into the quilt like a mummy.

Sephiroth grinned. "No fair, you have to share."

Cloud mumbled something that sounded like, "Make me."

The General smiled deviously and grabbed the end of the blanket and pulled, dumping Cloud out of the quilt like the innards of a burrito.

"Mmmm....Seeeeeeph," Cloud whined. Sephiroth made up for the unceremonious dumping by crawling into the bed and pulling Cloud to him, covering them both with the blanket.

Cloud had never slept with another person before, and it was a little awkward trying to find a position that didn't dig his elbow into Sephiroth's stomach or his knee into Sephiroth's groin _not in the happy way_. Cloud kept lying on and pulling Sephiroth's hair, who then bound it up to keep it out of the way. They eventually settled with Sephiroth on his back, Cloud snuggled up to his side. The blond head rested on Sephiroth's shoulder and the strong arm wrapped around the dancer kept him close. One hard, muscled leg was thrown over the other.

This wasn't what Cloud had been picturing when he asked to come over to Sephiroth's place, but it was nice. Maybe they could play hide the sausage when they woke up.

Sephiroth was almost asleep when a horrible, cold, evil thought wormed its way into his brain playing over and over again like a terrible song you couldn't stop singing to yourself. "How old are you again?" he whispered into Cloud's ear. _Please_ _let me be wrong, please let me be wrong, please let me be wrong...._

"Sixteen."

Fuck. _Jailbait_.

TBC...


	9. Chapter 9

Rating: PG-13 this chapter

Warnings: Very AU, language

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Do not sue, all I got are college loans, and this isn't helping to pay them off.

Summary: Opening night for Midgar Dance Company's newest show may be the beginning of something more than just a hot new act.

"What are you doing?"

"There's someone in there."

"...probably the guy that lives with us? You know, Sephiroth?"

"No there's _someone else_ in there. I can smell them."

Angeal sighed. Genesis always had been a nosy bastard.

"Get away from there. Aren't you supposed to be at work already?"

"No."

"You had a conference call at nine. It's now...eleven thirty."

Genesis shrugged and pressed his ear to the door in a different position.

Zack appeared next to him and mimicked Genesis, whispering, "What are we doing?"

"Spying on Sephiroth and the _date_ he brought home."

"You mean Cloud?"

Genesis grabbed Zack by the front of his shirt and shook him. "Tell me what you know!"

Zack yelped and was quieted by Angeal's hand flying over his mouth. "You two fucktards are going to get us in deep shit. I'm going to work."

With that Angeal turned around and stormed to the elevator, hitting the button and waiting for the elevator to get to their level. Seriously. Sometimes he felt like he lived in a middle school and not a SOLDIER compound.

Genesis released Zack and they both went back to listening at the door. Zack whispered, "Well, yesterday, Sephiroth went to see that show again. The _Seventh Heaven_ one? Ya. Well anyway, he told me he was going to ask Cloud out to dinner afterward."

"Why didn't he tell meeee?"

"Because _I'm_ his best friend."

"I'm his best friend, too!"

"No, you're a nosy queer."

Genesis couldn't think of any reply to that statement that wouldn't be a lie. So instead he said, "Wanna have sex?"

Zack looked the pretty man over, critically examining the Commander. "Flattered, truly, but no."

Genesis pouted prettily. "Why not?"

"You're pretty and everything, but...you're just not my type."

"Really? But...I thought everyone loved pretty guys."

"Not exactly."

"So you're straight then?"

This was the longest he had ever talked to the red-head. He didn't know whether to feel accepted or scared. "Bi, actually."

Genesis pondered. "So...who _would_ you sleep with?"

Zack actually had the decency to blush. "Um...Angeal."

Beautiful blue eyes widened, and a sultry, sexy purr escaped his lips. "And he calls you Puppy..."

"...yeaaaa..."

"Oh sweet baby Jesus the _cosplay_."

Genesis was thwacked soundly.

*****************************

Sephiroth woke slowly, warm and quite content with the world. The object of his obsession for the last couple of years was soundly sleeping, curled up against him. It was unbelievable and completely perfect. Shreds of blond hair that fell across Cloud's relaxed face feathered as he breathed softly in and out. He was on his side, one arm was curled beneath him with the hand balled up under his chin. The other arm lay across Sephiroth's chest, relaxed in sleep.

Earlier, when Cloud had admitted to wanting to _use_ him, he had almost let his heart (what was left of it, anyway) break. So many people had used him over the years. Hojo for his twisted research, Shinra to fight their wars, even his friends to some extent used him. The thought that the one he had secretly crushed on forever wanted to do the same thing almost broke him.

But then he actually _listened_ to what Cloud was saying and his heart heaved a big, fat sigh of relief. Cloud _didn't_ want to use him. Cloud felt terrible for _wanting_ to use him. Cloud _liked_ him.

Cloud liked _him_.

Cloud wasn't _legal_.

What the hell was he supposed to do now? He had Cloud in his bed. A Cloud that had already admitted that he liked him and wanted to sleep with him, and he could _so_ go to jail over this. Not that any fucking jail could keep him contained for more than a heartbeat, but it was the _principle_ of the thing. What kind of leader and role model would he be if he took some underage kid into his bed?

_Why God does the legal age have to be eighteen in Midgar?_

Wait...where was Cloud from again? He searched his memory for the biographies he had read dozens of times in the left over theater programs he horded like gold. _Nibelheim_. What was the legal age in Nibelheim?

It was time to do some research.

Sephiroth tried to ease Cloud out of his hold without waking him but was entirely unsuccessful. The blond murmured and propped himself up on his elbows. One eye was squinted open and his face was scrunched into a mask of grumpiness. "Where're you goin'?"

"I have to take care of some work stuff. I'll just be down the hall in the office. I'll leave the door open and you can come find me if you need me."

Cloud humphed and flopped back onto the pillows, burrowing under the blanket.

The General smiled and shrugged on a robe as he headed out the door. The home office set up for the General and his housemates was small in terms of the real offices they had in the administrative area of the building, but it served its purpose. Sephiroth booted up the computer and logged on, waiting for the program to load. He pulled up the Shinra database and accessed the search engine.

_**Search: Please select search type or enter keyword now**_

Cloud worked for Midgar Dance Company, which Sephiroth knew was a subdivision of Shinra.

_**Search-Employees: Please enter keyword now**_

_**Strife, Cloud**_

_**Searching…**_

_**Record not found**_

_**Please enter new keyword now or change search type**_

Well, that was odd.

_**New search selected**_

_**Search-Contract Employment: Please enter keyword now**_

_**Strife, Cloud**_

_**Searching…**_

_**One record found**_

_**Open record now? Y/N**_

There it was. Why the hell was Cloud under contract? Why didn't the company hire him outright? Or did Cloud want certain stipulations that he required before being hired?

_**Y**_

_**Accessing files, please wait**_

_**Please enter password and security clearance code, Level 5**_

Fucking security clearance? What the hell?

_**Password accepted**_

_**Please select the file you would like to open**_

There were multiple files, many more than should have existed. He recognized some of the file extensions as financial documents. He clicked through them one at a time, his eyebrows hoisting higher and higher at each one. This kid was _screwed_.

Cloud made the Shinra company millions of gil every year in income. From ticket and merchandise sales alone this kid should have been a freaking set for life.

But the _debt_.

He found the original contract Cloud's mother had signed as well as the original debt amount and the debt accumulated while he was in dance school. He scanned through the debt documents, getting angrier and angrier at every calculation. They also charged hundreds and hundreds of gil to Cloud's "debt" almost every day. Most of it for random shit the kid probably never even did. Manicures? Hair cuts? Restaurants, clubs, movie theaters, bakeries? What the hell?

Then he started looking back through the recent transaction history. Several purchases had been made last night…while Cloud had been with him.

Shinra was using Cloud as an expense account. They racked up the debt, Cloud paid off the bill, and the dancer got nothing in return. He was their eternal slave, paying off vacations to Costa del Sol and hundred gil hair cuts.

Sephiroth saw red.

_**Are you sure you would like to transfer account? Y/N**_

Fucking YES.

_**Y**_

_**Please enter Level 5 security clearance code and password**_

_**Processing…**_

_**Transferring…**_

_**Account has been transferred to:**_

_**SephirothPJS001**_

_**Would you like to edit account details? Y/N**_

_**Y**_

_**Please select details you would like to edit**_

Idiots didn't safeguard their accounts from the inside. Sephiroth smiled evilly. Several minutes of clicking and typing followed.

_**Account had been edited. A list of your changes has been shown below:**_

_**All access to account is denied-to be accessed by user SephirothPJS001 only**_

_**126 files have been deleted**_

_**37 new files have been created**_

_**52 account debit cards have been deactivated**_

_**1 account debit card has been issued**_

_**Previous account balance has been deleted**_

_**New account balance is $50,000**_

_**New account password is verified**_

_**Would you like to make any more changes? Y/N**_

_**N**_

_**Account has been logged out**_

_**Search: Please select search type or enter keyword now**_

Let them stick that in their pipes and smoke it.

_**Search: legal age of consent, Nibelheim**_

Now, back to business.

TBC…


	10. Chapter 10

Rating: PG-13 this chapter

Warnings: Very AU, language

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Do not sue, all I got are college loans, and this isn't helping to pay them off.

Summary: Opening night for Midgar Dance Company's newest show may be the beginning of something more than just a hot new act.

"Why does it feel like we've known each other forever?"

Sephiroth leaned back from the computer and regarded the blond leaning against the door jamb. The sleep pants Sephiroth had given him earlier were tied tightly around slim hips to keep them from falling, but they still hung precariously low. He followed the line of washboard abs up to too thin ribs that protruded through the skin. Strong arms with well defined muscles for lifting partners into the air were crossed over his chest. Most of those girls probably weighed just as much as he did, if not more. The blond spikes were even more tousled from sleep than usual, and goosebumps stuck out all over the torso from the cool air of the air conditioning.

"Maybe we knew each other in a former life?"

"Maybe."

Cloud came forward and leaned against Sephiroth's side of the desk. He held out his hand and Sephiroth took it. They sat there for quite awhile, holding the hand of the other and enjoying their quiet moment.

"I've never been this comfortable around another person in my entire life," Cloud confessed. "I'm normally...not like this. This forward. I'm quiet, introverted, I don't trust someone I've just met. I...don't know what it is about you."

"Would you believe that I'm the same way?"

Cloud smiled. "Ya. I would."

Their hands tightened around one another.

"So...what do we do now? Are we like, boyfriends? Or something?"

"What would we be besides boyfriends?" Sephiroth smiled.

"I don't know. Something."

"Liiiike...?"

Cloud smiled embarrassedly. "I tooold you I've never really done this before. I don't know what the fuck I'm saying."

Sephiroth chuckled, picking up a piece of paper with his free hand and giving it to Cloud. "Well, I got you a present. I thought this would be better than flowers."

Cloud took the paper with trepidation and stared at it blankly for several minutes. "Seph...I..."

The General frowned. "You...don't like it? I thought this is what you wanted."

"It's not that."

"Then why are you not hysterically happy."

"I can't _read_ it."

"...I'm sorry?"

"I can't read, Seph."

Sephiroth sat stunned for several moments. "How have you gotten this far in life without learning how to read?"

"I'm really good at faking it."

Comprehension dawned. "Like last night at the restaurant."

"Ya."

Sephiroth took back the paper and looked Cloud in the eyes. "Would you like to learn?"

"Seph, nobody's figured out how to teach me yet. I'm sixteen. If it was going to happen it would have already."

"So...it's not that you haven't been taught at all, but there is an obstacle?"

Cloud hung his head. "The letters...get all mixed up. It's _so hard_ to keep them in one place while I try to figure out a word."

"You're dyslexic."

"...I'm sorry?"

Sephiroth gave Cloud a look that said he thought Cloud should know this already. "Dyslexia. I believe it's the name of your reading disorder."

"How...how did...?"

"It's fairly common. There are ways to teach around it, different learning styles to help you through it."

Cloud sat in stunned disbelief. "So...no one has figured this out before because...?"

"I don't know. I can only assume it was to keep you more easily contained and malleable."

"But, my friends didn't even figure that out. I mean, you've only known for like, five minutes and you've already diagnosed me and found a way to solve the problem. What the hell? What the _hell_?"

Sephiroth flinched, figuring he had just dug a hole he may not be able to climb out of. "Maybe they didn't understand the problem? Or didn't know what the problem was to begin with?"

Cloud sat longer, his grip still tight on Sephiroth's hand. "But...you can teach me, right?"

"Probably not me. I will find someone suitable." He kissed Cloud's hand. "I promise."

"_Christ_. All this time I've been struggling with this _Goddamned_ fucking-"

Sephiroth raised up from his chair and kissed him, shutting off the tirade. It was deep and wet, involving tongue and moans fed from one man to the other. Through it all their hands stayed clasped, with their free hands holding on to whatever they could. The paper Sephiroth had been holding fluttered to the floor.

They separated, and Cloud panted softly. "What was that for?"

"I don't like to see you upset."

Cloud grinned and kissed his cheek. "It worked."

"Good."

Sephiroth sat back down and retrieved the lost paper.

"So...what does the mystery paper say?"

The General pulled Cloud down onto his lap and the dancer let out a belated screech of protest at the treatment. "Fuck. _Warn_ a guy will ya?"

"Next time," the General promised. He brought the paper up so they could both read it. "Here," he touched the header, "it says that this is the statement for the account of Cloud Strife." Cloud cringed. "Here it has your balances. Amount owed: zero. Amount credited: fifty thousand. Total balance: fifty thousand."

Cloud's eyes widened, he took a deep breath, and passed out.

******************************

Cloud groaned and sat up. Had he dreamed that? Was he really in the free and clear? Did he really have _fifty thousand_ fucking gil to blow?

"I wondered how long you would be out." The voice next to him said in a warm chuckle.

Cloud twisted to look at the man still laying on the bed. Sephiroth was sprawled out on the mattress, robe gone, looking like a fucking God. "What time is it?"

"About five in the evening."

Cloud groaned and flopped down onto Sephiroth's stomach. "Is it real?" he asked, voice little and unsure.

"Yes. Very much so."

"I have...absolutely no way to thank you."

Sephiroth put his arms around the dancer and pulled until the blond lay blanketed over the top of him with his head tucked under his chin. "How did you do it?" was whispered into his chest.

"The idiots in accounting weren't expecting an attack from within. I took control over your contracts and your accounts and edited them to my satisfaction. I think I heard executives screaming from the Northern Crater." He went on to detail the mess he had cleaned up, and exactly _why_ Cloud had been unable to pay off his debt.

"I...I can't believe this."

"I can. These bastards will do anything to screw someone over for their own benefit. I'm sure once they track the changes I'll get an earful."

"Can't you get in trouble?"

Sephiroth guffawed. "What are they going to do? _Fire me_?"

"I...guess you're right. You're like, untouchable." Cloud lifted his head and stared Sephiroth in the face. "I'm really, _really_ glad you're on my side."

A hand reached up to cup Cloud's cheek. "Always."

Cloud tucked his head back under Sephiroth's chin and lay there for a moment, enjoying the heat radiating from the bare chest beneath his cheek and the smooth, up and down motion of Sephiroth's breathing.

"I think maybe we did."

Sephiroth ran his fingers through blond spikes. "Did what?"

"Know each other in another life or something."

"Maybe in another dimension?"

"Another world!"

"A parallel universe."

"Like _Horton Hears a Who_!"

"Who do what now?"

Cloud sat up and pounded on Sephiroth's chest. "_Horton Hears a Who_! You've seriously never read _Horton Hears a Who_?!"

"It wasn't exactly required reading when I was a child," Sephiroth responded dryly.

"My mom read it to me a lot. It was my _absolute favoritest story of all time_."

"Maybe that should be the first thing you learn to read," Sephiroth suggested with a smile. "You'll probably know all the words already."

"I probably could if I heard it again. I just remember the story now, not the word for word."

They smiled at each other for a long minute, touching each other casually and learning the feel of each other. "Are you hungry?" Sephiroth asked in concern, fingers skimming down Cloud's ribs.

"I'm fine."

"You haven't eaten since last night."

"I'm fine, really. I haven't seen you eat, either."

"I had several protein bars earlier."

"So you ate cardboard and that's supposed to count as food?"

"We are not talking about me. I'm not the one who looks like a war refugee."

"I am not that skinny."

"I. Can. Count. Your. Vertebrae," Sephiroth pronounced each word with a finger stabbing into Cloud's spine.

Cloud squealed. "I'm a _dancer_, what do you want from meeee?"

"A few extra pounds." The poking turned into tickling.

The squealing turned into hysterical screaming.

The door flung open and Sephiroth's roommates had a slightly harried look about them as they tried to find the source of the screaming. Sephiroth stopped tickling and glared at the intruders.

"What the hell are you _doing_ to him?"

"Please tell me you were using lube!"

Cloud slid off of Sephiroth and buried his head under a pillow in embarrassment.

A different pillow was hurled across the room to thwack Zack in the face.

"Get out! All of you!"

Genesis flew across the room and jumped onto the bed. "Not until you share your new toy with me."

"Out!" Sephiroth lunged for Genesis and missed. The red-head dove beside Cloud to stick his head under the same pillow.

"Hi! Wanna play hide the salami?"

"_JESUS CHRIST ALMIGHTY_." Sephiroth grabbed Genesis and frog marched him to the door. The General shoved the red head into Angeal's arms. "I believe this is yours. Keep it on a leash next time with the other one."

The door was slammed.

TBC…


	11. Chapter 11

Pairings: Sephiroth/Cloud

Rating: PG-13 this chapter

Warnings: Very AU, language

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Do not sue, all I got are college loans, and this isn't helping to pay them off.

Summary: Opening night for Midgar Dance Company's newest show may be the beginning of something more than just a hot new act.

A/N: So, I totally cannibalized Coyote Ugly. Disclaimer: I don't own it. I just really, really love that movie and couldn't live without putting it in a fic.

The motorcycle rumbled to a halt in front of "The Dirty Rose Motel." Cloud hopped off and unfastened the helmet, handing it over to Sephiroth.

"Are you sure you want to stay here? You could always…" Sephiroth fidgeted with the helmet.

Cloud smiled. "Stay with you?"

"Yes."

"I think that…if I did-stay with you that is-I might do something I'm not quite ready for. I mean, I think I'm ready. But...maybe…I need…a little more time?" Jesus Fucking Christ did he have to sound so idiotic? "I mean, I want to have sex. I do. It's just…" Where was the wall to bang his head into?

Sephiroth placed his fingers over Cloud's lips and smiled softly. "I understand." The smile turned into a smirk. "I do expect you to get a better apartment."

Cloud leaned into the hand. "I will."

Sephiroth leaned in to kiss Cloud gently. "Call me."

Cloud pecked the General's cheek. "I will after the matinee tomorrow."

One more kiss and the warrior pulled the motorcycle away from the curb in a roar of the engine. Cloud touched his fingers to his lips as they smiled so wide he felt the corners of his lips cracking. His eyes widened.

"Tiiiiiffaaaaa!" He ran up the stairs at a breakneck pace. "TifatifatifatifatifaTIFA!!!" He banged on the door of the unit right next to his repeatedly. "Tifa, OH MY GOOOOOD TIFA!!!!"

The door rattled from the inside and swung open, revealing a rumpled and I-just-woke-up Tifa. "What. The. Fuck."

Cloud ran inside and started jumping up and down, muffling his hysterical screaming with his hands clamped tight over his own mouth. Tifa calmly closed the door, locking it. She blinked blearily and walked over the bat-shit insane idiot masquerading as Cloud. She slapped him.

He stopped jumping and stared at her, suddenly calm. The blond grabbed Tifa's hands and shook them to emphasize his sincerity when he said, "You have _no_ idea how awesome life is."

"Life fucking sucks. What the fuck are you _on_?"

"It's _gone_, Tifa."

"What?"

"The debt. It's all gone. Every. Single. Penny."

Her mouth dropped open in shock. "How?"

"Sephiroth. He made it all go away. And and and and he gave me _FIFTY THOUSAND GIIIIIIIIL_."

Tifa sat down on the floor. It could be said she collapsed, but "sat" sounded so much better than "collapsed."

"The bastard might actually be a decent human being."

Cloud sat down and put his hands on Tifa's knees. "He is. He's…so much more than that." Cloud smiled shaking the woman's legs. "I'm going to pay off your loans."

Tifa smiled, but it was tinged with sadness. "I can't ask you to do that Cloud."

"You're not asking me anything. I'm telling you that I'm paying off your loans. It's my fault you have them. You followed me to that school as soon as you were old enough. You put yourself into debt for it just to find out you'd never make it as a dancer."

"I found a way around it."

Cloud smiled. "Ya. But…this is for you. You're my best friend."

"Best friends," repeated Tifa, grasping Cloud's hands with her own.

"Let me do this, please," Cloud's face was sincere, and a little needy.

Tifa tilted her head, a thoughtful look on her face. "Does this mean we're going to quit the company?"

"I…actually don't want to," said Cloud. "I love dancing. And…now I can dance because I _want_ to and not because I _have_ to."

"I don't want to leave either."

Their smiles were so large they looked demented.

Cloud suddenly gasped and gripped Tifa's hands harder. "We should get an apartment together and be roooooomies!"

"Do we have money for that?"

"Sephiroth told me to get a new place. I'm assuming he means that I'll have plenty for me to get a new one."

"Did you…and he…"

"No."

"Really?"

"Ya."

"You had all that hot man meat at your disposal and you didn't bang him?"

"T_iiiii_fa. It's not like that. Besides, I thought you didn't like him."

"I didn't like him when I thought he was after your ass. But…"

Cloud smiled dreamily. "He's not like that."

"Right."

Cloud sighed in loving worship.

"Soooo why didn't you shag him nine ways to Sunday?"

"I just…didn't want this to be like the other…times…"

Tifa rubbed Cloud's arm in understanding.

"So…do you think you could get me hooked up with his friend?"

"Zack?"

It was Tifa's turn to sigh dreamily. "He's so fucking _cute_."

"_Skag_."

"Am not! He flirted with me first!"

Cloud shook his head and sighed dramatically. "I guess."

Tifa squealed and hugged Cloud enthusiastically. Cloud screamed and squirmed away. "Tifa! Fuck. I'm gay for a reason! Keep those things out of my fucking faaaace."

************************

"Sephiroth speaking."

"Hey."

Sephiroth smiled and leaned back in his chair, propping his feet on the top his desk. "Are you done with the matinee already?"

"I just walked off stage."

"Are still in that…costume?" Black pants. Tight black pants. Leather jacket.

"Yes."

Ohhhhh. "You should wear that the next time we go out."

"I'd look _retarded_."

"You'd look hot." Sephiroth adjusted his pants.

"I look like the 80's threw up on me."

"Who didn't like the 80's?"

"Seriously, slap a head band and legwarmers on me and call me done."

Sephiroth smiled and clicked his pen a few times. "I think legwarmers can be kind of sexy."

"I'd hate for you to see me at practices."

"Why?"

"I wear legwarmers."

"Really?"

"Yes. I'm a _dancer_. I wear things like that."

Silence.

"Are you thinking dirty thoughts about me?"

"…maybe?"

Cloud squealed into the phone. "Stooop!"

"You've never thought about me that way?"

"Maybe a few times."

Sephiroth cleared his throat expectantly.

"Ok, maybe more than that, but I wasn't, like, fawning over you for last forever like you have me."

Sephiroth was silent.

"You're like, my _fanboy_."

"…are you sufficiently done with your thorough embarrassment of me?"

"Are you done asking me stupid questions?"

"Truce."

"Truce."

Sephiroth clicked his pen several times. "When can I see you again?"

"I have another matinee tomorrow. We can go out after that-wait. Never mind I have to work."

"You have two shows tomorrow?"

"No, I have a second job. I work a couple of nights a week for some extra cash."

"You don't have to do that now."

"I know, but…it's a fun job."

Sephiroth ran his hand through his hair and scowled as the clippie part of the pen got stuck in the long length. "Can I come see you there?"

"Um…yeeeeaaa…"

"You don't sound so sure." Fucking _pen_. He tugged.

"We're not supposed to bring significant others to work."

Several strings of silver were ripped from their roots on his head and Sephiroth winced. "I can be quiet."

"…fine."

"So, what's this second job?"

"Well, you see, I'm a bartender…"

*************************

"Seriously? Cloud works here?" Zack stared in awe at the red flashing sign that hung above the door. _Fenrir Ugly_ was legendary. A seedy, trashy bar under the plate filled with sexy bodies and good booze. Good times. Good times.

"That's what he said." Sephiroth adjusted his gloves nervously.

Genesis and Angeal flanked Sephiroth, looking cool and disinterested.

"I might catch something if we go in there," Genesis sneered.

"You're the one who insisted we all go," Angeal reminded him. "If I recall correctly, you exact words were, 'We should all go with Sephiroth so he doesn't get Cloud in trouble. We can just act like we are on a boy's night out.'"

"I am an idiot."

Zack couldn't decide which he liked better. Cold, calculating Genesis or fag-tastic Genesis. Genesis number one made him feel the size of an ant next to a big, awesome…animal that wasn't an ant. Genesis number two made him uncomfortable in entirely different ways. Like he needed to bleach his brain after exposure or something.

At least Angeal was just Angeal no matter where he was. He just burped and scratched himself less in public.

God, he was _so hot_.

"Isn't he only like, sixteen? How can he work here?" Zack asked, fixing his hair in the reflection of a car parked out front.

"He didn't elaborate," muttered Sephiroth.

Genesis snorted. "Apparently the employer doesn't check id's."

The place was packed, but all it took was a handshake full of gil for the bouncer to let them in. The snarling sound of Def Leppard's _Pour Some Sugar On Me_ was just starting, and there, on the bar, were Cloud and Tifa.

"Oh…my…" Zack was transfixed. The world couldn't get any better. Really, it couldn't.

TBC…


	12. Chapter 12

Pairings: Sephiroth/Cloud

Rating: PG-13 this chapter

Warnings: Very AU, language

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Do not sue, all I got are college loans, and this isn't helping to pay them off.

Summary: Opening night for Midgar Dance Company's newest show may be the beginning of something more than just a hot new act.

It took less than a heartbeat for Zack to be at the bar staring up raptly at the bartenders dancing on top.

"Tifa!" he called to the brunette woman. He waved excitedly. The dark haired woman did a spin, stopping right in front of the spiky haired SOLDIER. She smiled, put her boot in his face and pushed. He fell over to the whooping and hollering of the crowd. Cloud sauntered down the bar top, trailing a long line of liquor from the bottle in his hand. Tifa lit a match and smiled. The crowd was hysterical. She dropped the match and the bar erupted into flames as the alcohol burned. Tifa jumped up and hung from a rack built into the ceiling, but Cloud danced through the flames seemingly unfazed. Sephiroth almost had a heart attack.

The fire went out once the alcohol was gone. Tifa swung back down to the bar top and started dancing with Cloud. A large man grabbed Cloud's leg and pulled, almost causing the dancer to topple over. Sephiroth snarled, ready to beat the man into a pulp. Cloud beat him to it and savagely broke a beer bottle over the man's head causing the crowd to roar. The offender went down like a sack of potatoes and the nearest bouncer hauled his limp body out of the bar.

Sephiroth pushed his way through the crowd who seemed to have no deference to the man that ran the most powerful army in the world. And who the hell just grabbed his ass?! He twisted around quickly, ready to deck the offender only to find Genesis smiling innocently.

"Pervert," he muttered, pulling his punch at the last second.

"Just getting in the mood, darling."

The General turned around and pursued the bar again. He made it just as Cloud jumped behind, leaving Tifa and another girl dancing on top. Two young boys, who had to be twins, took Cloud's place dancing with Tifa. The blond dancer started filling orders, flipping the bottles around at a speed that Sephiroth couldn't help but admire. He really, really needed to get a sword into Cloud's hands soon.

Cloud almost faltered as he realized Sephiroth was standing in front of him, but saved the bottle from dropping at the last second. He finished pouring the drink and handed it off after getting the money for it.

"He-" Sephiroth was cut off by a couple of dancers passing between him and Cloud.

"Hello," he tried again.

"Hey!" Cloud shouted back over the music. "What can I get you?"

"A glass of wine would be wonderful."

"Did you just ask for _wine_?" Cloud looked appalled.

"A beer then?" Sephiroth was perplexed.

Cloud smiled. "Better, but not quite." He jumped over the bar and grabbed the collar of Sephiroth's shirt, hauling him on top of the platform.

"BODY SHOTS!" someone screamed, and the General protested rather violently as his shirt was yanked up and pulled the material back down. Cloud sat down on his lap, slapped him, and pulled it back up. Sephiroth was so stunned he momentarily forgot what he was protesting.

That was, until Tifa grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled until he was lying down, and one of the boys poured cold tequila into his belly button. Sephiroth roared, ready to kill, when Cloud leaned down and drank the liquor up in one long, wet suck. The General's mouth hung open in stupefied surprise. What the hell kind of bar _was_ this?

And what was his precious ballerina doing working in it?

A very bewildered Sephiroth was rolled off the bar when Cloud slid off his lap, landing with a loud _thump_ on the floor. The General grimaced, standing up and trying to brush the sticky goo he had landed in off of his clothing, but only succeeding in smearing it more. "Ew," was his succinct response to his situation.

Cloud was kneeling on the bar, laughing hysterically. "Let that be a lesson," he giggled, "to never order _wine_ in this bar."

The patrons suddenly went wild, screaming and yelling hysterically and Cloud's eyes lit up. Every bartender in the place jumped on the bar top and Cloud got to his feet to the strings of a fiddle sowing through the air.

_The devil went down to Georgia_

_He was lookin' for a soul to steal_

_He was in a bind_

_Because he was way behind_

_He was willing to make a deal_

The dancers jumped and stomped, causing the crowd to reach epic screaming proportions, and they whooped and hollered to encourage the insanity. Sephiroth was chagrined to watch Zack jump up with them and try to mimic their moves.

"Well," said Genesis, leaning against the bar by Sephiroth. "Now what?"

"I…I don't know."

Genesis rolled his eyes. "I'm going to find someone to do. You're boring."

The song ended and most of the dancers jumped down, returning to bartending while a few remained to dance to the next song. Tifa plopped down next to Sephiroth, legs hanging over the side of the bar.

"So," she said, swinging her feet, "I hear you're actually a decent guy."

Sephiroth regarded her suspiciously. "And…?"

"I just wanted to thank you for not being a sleaze ball." A random customer stumbled into Tifa, hugging her around the middle and claiming that he loved her more than anyone else ever could. Tifa reached backward and someone put a pair of scissors in her hand. She grabbed the guy's ponytail and sawed through it with the scissors, shoving him away when she was done. "Otherwise," she continued, handing the scissors back to the other bartender, "I'd have to do something drastic." She smiled and hopped behind the bar.

Zack ran over and grabbed Sephiroth's arms, shaking him. "Did you just _see_ what she did? Isn't she _sooo_ hot? Oh my _god_ I think I might just spontaneously orgasm."

Sephiroth, totally overwhelmed, waved at Cloud where the blond stood at the other end of the bar, filling drink orders. The dancer waved back cheerily. Sephiroth gulped and turned around to leave for moment and hopefully rally his nerves.

He walked past Angeal, who was leaning against the back wall with a beer in hand and watching the goings on with a detached interest. The General then passed Genesis, who was getting friendly with the bouncer. His nametag read, "Barrett." Shaking his head, Sephiroth went outside and breathed deeply of the cooler air. He went around the corner of the building into the alley to get away from the crowd of people still waiting to get in. He pulled his hair from behind him to fall over his shoulder and leaned against the grungy wall.

He didn't know how to deal with this. He'd never been good in social situations. Crowds unnerved him. Cloud seemed to not even notice the hundreds of people ogling him while he danced on the bar. Then again…the dancer was use to people watching him all hours of the day. He did it for a living.

But Cloud was _his_. The feeling of protectiveness welled over and threatened to drown him. How was he going to deal with this? It wasn't like he could just order Cloud to quit. The blond seemed to be having fun, which the General couldn't understand at all. At least the dancer didn't seem totally helpless against unwanted suitors, if the unconscious man earlier told him anything. He just wanted Cloud to be safe, and this place seemed anything but _safe_.

Or even _sanitary_.

He glared at the offending smear of sticky goo still on his clothing for emphasis.

Sighing, Sephiroth squared his shoulders and told himself that he could do this. It was just a bar, with people in it. He had faced whole armies without this much trepidation. He needed to grow up and be..._social_. Possibly even act his age.

What did normal twenty-four year olds do in a bar?

Well, Zack was twenty-two. Did that mean he should act two years older than Zack? Then again, Zack had the mental capabilities of a hormonal two year old.

"Hey," was the soft word that broke him out of his reasoning. The General shot his eyes to the blond at the entrance to the alley. "Are you ok?"

The silver haired man opened his arms and the dancer approached and rested his body against the General's. The blond head buried itself into a strong chest

"I'm fine," Sephiroth murmured into Cloud's crest of hair. "Just a little bit of culture shock." He ran his hand through the soft fringe at the base of Cloud's neck. "Shouldn't you be working?"

"Fifteen minute break."

"Ah."

They held one another for a few minutes, listening to the traffic on the street and distant murmur of people waiting in line at the entrance to the bar. Sephiroth traced the outline of bones through the tight t-shirt and worried. He would need to talk to his dancer about a weight gain program. There were ways to gain weight in a healthy manner while still remaining light and lean. He did it with his cadets all the time. Maybe he would broach the subject in the next few days…

"You don't have to be here," Cloud said, eyes half closed in bliss as Sephiroth petted his hair. "I can tell this isn't your kind of thing. Frankly, I was kind of surprised you went to the club with me the other night."

"I don't like you working here."

"But...it's money."

"You don't need money anymore. I'll give you all the money you want."

Cloud laughed. "That's not all it is. I have a family here."

Sephiroth sighed. "You're not safe here. You should be on stage with people worshipping you from a distance. You shouldn't be on a bar, with random assholes groping you."

"I can take care of myself."

"Yes, I believe the drunken idiot you rendered unconscious earlier proved that to me," Sephiroth remarked dryly.

Cloud lifted his head and tugged at a length of silver. "It's not that bad. I can't just _leave_ everyone. They're my friends. That would be like," Cloud puzzled for a minute. "You leaving Angeal, Genesis, and Zack just because I don't like Shinra."

"I..." the kid had a point. "I don't believe I would be able to leave them either."

"I need to get back," Cloud whispered, tip-toeing up to kiss Sephiroth on the cheek.

"I'll go with you."

"You don't want to go home?" Cloud raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

"I need to make sure Zack and Genesis come home in one piece. I'll stand in the back with Angeal."

Cloud smiled, "Alrighty then."

The way back in brought them past the large, black man serving as the bouncer. Genesis had found a stool to sit on so he could be next to the big man. The red-head was flirting coyly, and Barrett seemed to be eating it up. He barely acknowledged Cloud with a dismissive wave of his hand as the blond went by, Sephiroth in tow. Sephiroth rolled his eyes and took up a spot next to Angeal, who was still leaning against the back wall. Angeal silently handed the General his beer, which he took a gulp of, winced, and handed back.

"I don't know how you drink that shit. It tastes like piss."

Angeal shrugged and drank out of the bottle. "I just like it." He belched.

Sephiroth made a noise of distaste. "That's disgusting."

"I'm a guy. Guy's do things like that."

"I don't."

"You're a _gay_ guy. There's a difference. You're like, a girl. Or something."

Sephiroth regarded him with a puzzled expression. "Angeal, you're gay too."

"Nope. I'm bi. Therefore, I can still do disgusting guy things and not get called on it."

"_I'm_ calling you on it."

"But you don't count."

"...why?"

"Because you're gay. It's like, the same reason my mom doesn't count."

Sephiroth sighed deeply and closed his eyes, leaning his head against the wall. This night was never going to _end_.

******************

The night did end, however slowly that end came to be. The bar closed at 2am, the bouncers slowly pushing people out the door. Cloud promised to meet them out the front door after he cleaned up. The group waited outside, watching as the crowd dispersed.

Genesis happily met up with Barrett when the big man exited the building a few minutes later. "I'll see you guys later. We're going out for coffee," the redhead winked suggestively at the word 'coffee'. "I like mine tall," he glanced up, "and black."

Angeal huffed, crossing his arms. "I'm leaving too. I think I'm the only one that remembers that we have to be at work at 8am." He glared at the other three, receiving nothing but innocent looks. "_Christ_. Fine. I'll cover for you, but this is the _last Goddamned time_." He stomped off toward where they had parked their bikes, leaving a smirking Sephiroth, Genesis, and Zack behind him.

Genesis left with Barrett, practically hanging on the big man.

It was about half an hour later that Cloud and Tifa emerged with a small group of the other bartenders.

"What took so long?" Zack grumped, bored out of his mind because he had to _stand_ _still_ for more than five seconds.

"We had to clean up," Tifa said, locking the door behind her. "The place was a mess, as per usual. It takes awhile."

"Want to introduce us to your new Romeo?" said one kid, part of the set of twins from earlier.

"Um...sure," Cloud said, gripping Sephiroth's hand. "Guys, this is Sephiroth and his friend Zack."

"Ya, well, we kind of figured," said a young Wutanese girl, whose shorts should have been illegal on anything but a Honeybee.

Cloud blushed. "And, um, these are my friends. Yuffie," he pointed to the facetious girl in the short-shorts, "Sora and Roxas," the pair of the twins, "Kairi," a girl with shocking red hair, "and Riku," a boy that reminded Sephiroth of himself when he was younger.

Not a single one of them looked old enough to legally work in the bar.

Sephiroth nodded his head in acknowledgement. "It's nice to meet you."

They all waved or said some version of hello.

"Let's go eat!" Zack enthused. "Seph's buying!"

The General glared, but the party was already in motion down the street, ecstatic to eat on "Shinra's" dollar.

They ended up at an IHOP crowded around small, plastic table sitting on small, plastic seats. Sephiroth curled his lip when he realized his menu was sticky. What was it with the fucking sticky shit? Did he have a big fucking bulls-eye on him that said, "Here! Me! Give it to me!"

He briefly considered asking Cloud if he wanted Sephiroth to order for him. Cloud solved the issue by pointing to a picture of a salad when the waitress came around to take their order.

The bartenders talked about the evening, comparing the stupidest customers of the night and how many people _they_ saw Tifa kick in the face. Tifa wasn't admitting to anything.

The only good thing was Cloud curled into Sephiroth's side, half asleep as a big, sword callused hand ran up and down his arm. "Do you have to work tomorrow…I mean, today?" the question was whispered into Cloud's ear, trying not to catch the attention of the others at the table.

"Naw. Show's dark f'the nex' coupl' days," Cloud replied just as quietly, slurring his words slightly.

The General furrowed his brow a little but brushed off Cloud's slurring as just being tired. "Do you want to…come over to my place?"

Sephiroth could almost _feel_ Cloud blush through the fabric of his shirt. "Ya. I'd like that."

"I have something I'd like to talk to you about when we're…not surrounded by idiots."

Cloud laughed, more like a tired giggle than a laugh but he did make the attempt.

The food arrived, and none too soon for the General who was going to kill everyone at the table if he had to listen to one more chorus of I Get Around.

His pancakes tasted like sponge.

He nudged Cloud into a semi-awake state and pointed him in the general direction of the salad he had ordered. The dancer picked at the meal, occasionally bringing up a little nibble and putting most of it back into the bowl. He was listless, and frankly starting to worry Sephiroth quite a bit.

"You need to eat," Sephiroth said quietly.

"Mmm…na hungry."

"When was the last time you ate?"

Cloud stared blankly at the bowl for a minute. "When did I leave your place?"

Sephiroth furrowed his brow. "You mean, two days ago?"

"Ya. That was it."

"The last thing you ate was a protein bar I gave you two days ago?" his voice was raised enough for the rest of the table to hear. They all went quiet.

"Ya. That was…" Cloud faded out and started rearranging his salad again.

"That was what, Cloud?" Sephiroth coaxed, putting down his fork completely absorbed in his little dancer.

"Huh?" Cloud looked perplexed.

"What were you going to say, Cloud?"

"I don't…I'm so _tired_."

"I'm not surprised if you've been working as hard as I think you have and also haven't eaten for two days." He took the fork out of Cloud's limp hold and placed it to the side. "Maybe I should get you somewhere you can rest."

Even Zack was starting to look worried and much too serious.

"But…I need to…I…" Cloud looked around confusedly. "Where…?"

Zack put down his own utensils and picked up his water glass. He stood and moved around the table where Sephiroth was pulling Cloud's chair away from the table.

"Hey, little guy," Zack said softly. "I need you to drink this ok?" He offered Cloud his water. Cloud reached for the glass but it seemed like too complex a task to wrap his fingers around it. Sephiroth slowly held the glass up to the blond's mouth and coaxed him to drink. The two SOLDIERS shared a look and Zack took out his PHS.

The brunette stood and petted blond spikes while he dialed a number. He put the unit to his ear and listened for moment before speaking, "I need an ambulance…"

TBC…


	13. Chapter 13

Rating: PG-13 this chapter

Warnings: Very AU, language

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Do not sue, all I got are college loans, and this isn't helping to pay them off.

Summary: Opening night for Midgar Dance Company's newest show may be the beginning of something more than just a hot new act.

"What's wrong?" Tifa asked, nearly in tears. All of the diners had forgone their meals to watch helplessly as Sephiroth poured water in small sips down Cloud's throat.

Zack walked away from the table, still on the phone with emergency services.

"As far as I can tell, he's well on his way towards starvation," the General pressed his finger firmly on Cloud's forearm and watched as the finger print stayed there. "He's also severely dehydrated. Between the starvation and the dehydration I can bet that his electrolytes are all over the place, hence the confusion. I've seen it before in the field."

"I'm tired," whined Cloud, weakly pushing the glass away.

"I know, baby," Sephiroth murmured with a gentle kiss to Cloud's temple. The dancer closed his eyes and his head lolled to the side.

"Whoa whoa whoa," Sephiroth caught the blond before he could fall. He shook the boney, thin shoulders gently. "You have to wake up, Cloud. Come on baby. Wake up for me." Cloud opened his eyes again, but the lids were drooped.

"Tired, Seph."

"You can sleep after we get you somewhere safe ok?"

They didn't have to wait long for the ambulance. Sephiroth helped Cloud onto the stretcher and glared when he was asked to step back. They didn't ask him again. One of the paramedics cursed as he tried to put in the IV, trying and missing twice. Sephiroth growled and the young man flinched. "Sorry, but he's so dehydrated I can't find his veins."

Sephiroth stared the man down as he took the IV kit out of his hand. The General set up the unit himself while the paramedic looked on asking, "How did you _do_ that?"

"My eyes are better than yours, and I've put in more IV's than I can count."

Cloud was loaded into the back of the bus while his friends looked on. Sephiroth and Tifa were allowed inside to be with Cloud on the trip to the hospital. Zack promised to get everyone else to the waiting room at the emergency ward. Tifa called Aeris on Sephiroth's PHS to tell her what happened and where to meet them.

It didn't take long to arrive at the Shinra-owned hospital, and a few threats in the right places got Cloud admitted immediately. For the blond's part, he didn't seem to take any interest in what was going on around him. He mostly faded in and out with Sephiroth watching over the doctors and nurses like a hawk does a tasty, slow moving morsel.

After several examinations made by multiple doctors, a diagnosis and treatment were solidified. It was what Sephiroth had expected: dehydration, electrolyte deficiency, starvation. The blond dancer weighed in at a whopping eighty-nine pounds. The General could have flogged himself. How could he have _let it go_? He had known Cloud was thin, much too thin. He tried to chalk it up to the fact that his own strength made weight a hard thing for him to judge. However, all he felt was an aching sense that he had failed somehow.

The doctors also said Cloud should be treated for his eating disorder.

…wait. Eating disorder? Like, anorexia? Bulimia? Cloud didn't have an eating disorder. He was just poor, unable to afford enough food to live comfortably. That combined with all the physical labor he did on a daily basis and he just became malnourished.

…right?

All of Cloud's friends were gathered in the waiting room of the ER, and most of them were sleeping. Sephiroth was not surprised to see the sun was up as he exited from the "Staff Only" doors to the waiting area.

Tifa scooted up from her slouch in the chair, coming alert from the near trance she was in. "How is he?" her voice was groggy from sleep deprivation.

"Tired, dehydrated, etcetera. He'll be fine after a couple of days here."

"But…there's a show the day after tomorrow," said Aeris worriedly.

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow. "I hope Cloud has an understudy."

Tifa rubbed her face and groaned. "Ya, he does, but the understudy can't even get close to covering for Cloud. The director's going to be _pissed_."

"Tell him to take it up with me if he has a problem."

"I…can see how that would be to my benefit."

"Can we see him?" asked one of the twins (the General thought it may have been Roxas, but couldn't remember which one was Roxas and which Sora).

"He's sleeping, so it won't be very exciting."

The red-headed girl shrugged. "I just want to make sure he's ok."

Sephiroth nodded, and waved a hand to indicate they should follow him.

Cloud had been moved onto the Med/Surg floor from the ER, and the General led the way through the maze-like hospital to Cloud's room. It was one of those generic hospital rooms with the tan linoleum floor, tan walls, older model tv, and one chair for visitors. Did they think that only _one_ visitor would ever come at a time? Seriously. There should have been a stockpile of chairs somewhere for when extras showed up. As it was, people seated themselves on the floor, the large heating unit under the window, and Tifa claimed the one seat available. Sephiroth invoked boyfriend status and sat on the bed.

The room was quiet. Everyone was too tired and heartsick to talk. Cloud was ok, but that didn't mean that they still weren't scared and worried.

Cloud's friends filed out after an indeterminate amount of time. The bartenders left first, heading home to sleep before they had to be at work that night. Aeris left next, needing to be at the medic office in the dance school attached to the theater. Zack left too with a list from Sephiroth written on hospital stationary. Cloud needed clothes, personal items, etcetera. Zack would pick them up and bring them back later.

Tifa and Sephiroth looked at each other while Cloud breathed quietly in the hospital bed.

"Does Cloud have an eating disorder?" Sephiroth blurted out. Damn. He had hoped to be more subtle than that.

Tifa looked shocked. "Why does it matter?"

The General looked down at the boney hand lying gracefully on top of the sterile white blanket. "He could die. I…don't know…what I would do if…" He hated those blankets. They were always cold, no matter how many were piled on top of you. He needed to get Cloud warmer blankets. He pulled the present blanket up higher on Cloud's chest, a futile effort to calm his nerves.

"He's not going to die." Tifa was firm.

"But he _could_. Shit like that is dangerous."

Tifa leaned forward, elbows on knees and hands clasped. "You've seen him dance. You've seen what is required of him on stage. The director has weigh-ins, and everyone is required to meet the standards that man has. If you don't make your weight, you don't dance. He's required that Cloud has to be under ninety-five pounds."

"Fuck. That's, that's-"

"It's fucking crap," Tifa agreed. "They have their reasoning behind it, but I don't agree. However, I'm just the choreographer. I don't get a say in company policy."

Sephiroth tenderly stroked Cloud's hand, feeling the fingers twitch.

Tifa heaved a sigh. "I guess…Cloud and I are kind of don't-ask-don't-tell. If we want the other person to know, we tell them. Otherwise, the topic is off limits. Honestly, I just don't think Cloud sees it as a big deal. He dances. That's it. He does what he has to so he can continue dancing. There was nothing else in his life until you showed up all knight in shining armor and shit."

"You're his friend. Why didn't you _help_ him? He could _die_."

"You know what, buddy? I'm not his mother. Cloud can make decisions all by himself. He's a big kid."

"He's fucking _sixteen_. He's just a kid."

"And how old do you think I am, mister General sir?"

Sephiroth blinked at that.

"I'm only sixteen, too. I can't," her voice broke. She cleared her throat and shoved her palms against her eyes. "I can't be his mommy. I've tried. I really, really tried. I want to help him, but you know what you pompous ass? I'm just as lost and scared as he is, and my knight hasn't come to save me yet."

She stood up and grabbed her purse, still wiping her eyes. "I need to go get some sleep. I don't have a PHS, but you can call the theater and leave a message for me if anything changes."

"I'm sorry."

Tifa looked up with eyes red-rimmed from lack of sleep and crying. "Don't worry about it." She left after that, leaving Sephiroth a feeling that the conversation hadn't been concluded. He also felt like an A plus asshole.

************************

"Mmmm…Seph?"

Bright neon eyes blinked sleepily. Sephiroth sat up from his uncontrolled sprawl over the uncomfortable chair. "Hey," he said quietly. "How do you feel?"

"Like I have the hang-over from hell."

Sephiroth laughed. "That would be the dehydration talking."

"I feel like an idiot. I freaking made a scene at _IHOP_."

"I'm sure you made the wait staff's day. Pancakes aren't exactly the most exciting food on earth."

"Seriously though. _IHOP_."

Sephiroth snorted. It was kind of funny.

Cloud laughed too, then grimaced at all the tubes and wires attached to his arms. "This is annoying as fuck."

"It's necessary."

Cloud groaned and flopped his arms back to the mattress. "When do I get to go home?"

"When your electrolytes are stabilized and," Sephiroth paused, unsure of how to continue. "The doctors want to see your weight up at least five pounds before you leave. It's not required, but I think it would be a good idea."

The blond rolled his eyes. "I'm fine. I'll leave once my electo-whatsits are better."

"I…think I agree with the doctors."

"What?"

Sephiroth took the blond's delicate hands in his own, minding the tubes attached to thin wrists. "You're not fine, Cloud."

"Seph, sweetie, I'm a dancer. I'm athletic. So I'm a little lean-"

"Cloud, you are _starving yourself_."

Cloud was quiet for a moment, looking down at their clasped hands. "There is nothing wrong with me."

"Cloud," Sephiroth tipped the blond's little face up so he could look into his eyes. "You have the money to eat. I know you do. I put the money there and gave you an account card. Why didn't you eat for two days?"

"I…but…we had such a big meal that night. I ate _so much_-"

"One good meal does not account for not eating for two days."

"_Yes_ it _does_," Cloud vehemently argued.

"Are you listening to yourself? Seriously?"

"Look, I had a problem a couple of years ago. I'm _fine_. I have it under control."

"You almost _died_. That is _not_ having control over it."

Cloud hung his head again, pulling his hands out of Sephiroth's. The General sighed heavily and scrubbed at his face with fatigued frustration. When the first heavy sob came from Cloud's skinny frame, Sephiroth almost had a heart attack.

Wide-eyed, the General cupped Cloud's face and brought it up, only for Cloud to jerk away and turn to the side. "Cloud…"

The blond cried harder, bringing his hands up to cover his face. Sephiroth slid up onto the bed, careful of all the wires and tubes, and engulfed the tiny body in his arms. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so harsh, but I…I can't stand the thought of you being hurt. Just seeing you on the stretcher broke my heart. I can't let you hurt yourself. I…" he cleared his throat and kissed Cloud's cheek. "I love you."

Those words didn't get the reaction he expected. Cloud cried harder, curling in on himself and seeming reluctant to take any comfort in the embrace of Sephiroth's arms. "Tell me what to do, please," Sephiroth pleaded in a whisper. "I need to make this better, and I don't know what to do."

"I'm so fucked up," Cloud said reluctantly, voice thick. "What the fuck do you see in me? I'm a fucking _mess_. And, and, and-"

"You're my fucking mess." Sephiroth closed his eyes and sighed in relief when Cloud relaxed into his embrace. "You're better than this. You can beat this."

Cloud snorted inelegantly. "How can you possibly know that? We've only known each other for a few days. What if I'm as good as I get?"

"I know because I'll help you."

The blond sighed, using the blanket to dry the tears from his face. "I feel like such an idiot. I can't do anything right. You have to keep dragging me out of the holes I dig myself. I feel like I'm stuck in some kind of bad movie. Ya know? The kind where you're sitting in the audience yelling at the characters because you just can't believe how stupid they are?"

Sephiroth kissed Cloud's temple. "It's not that bad."

"Are you kidding me? What other stupid, cliché thing could you save me from?"

"Do you have an obsessive, homicidal stalker I could take care of?"

Cloud laughed. "Do you count?"

"I'm not obsessive and homicidal!"

A blond eyebrow raised.

"Fine. I might be obsessive but I'm not homicidal."

"Says the 'Demon of Wutai.'"

"That was _one war_-"

Cloud laughed; a real, hearty laugh. Sephiroth smiled, nuzzling Cloud's neck.

"Did you mean it?" Cloud asked quietly.

"Hmm?"

"Do you love me?"

Sephiroth turned Cloud so he could look into his eyes. "Is it creepy if I do?"

"Weeell…" Cloud hemmed and scrunched his nose. "It's kind of…_soon_."

"I don't expect for you to say it back. I'm…kind of surprised I said it. Especially since I meant it."

The blond blushed. "I'm…excited for when I can mean it too."

********************

The penthouse was quiet when Angeal walked inside. He sighed and immediately headed to the kitchen for a beer. It was definitely beer time, and he could probably catch the rest of the game. Pulling one of the cold bottles from the fridge, he turned around and almost dropped it in surprise when he saw Genesis standing right in front of him.

"Fuck, Gen," Angeal swore and juggled the bottle back into his hands. "Make some noise for Gaia's sake. I should make you wear a bell."

Genesis sighed deeply and leaned against the counter. "We had coffee."

A black eyebrow raised as Angeal popped the cap of the beer with his hands. "What?"

"Barrett and I. We had coffee."

"Isn't that what you said you were going to do?"

"But that's what we did. _We had coffee_."

"Aaaaand?"

Genesis threw his arms into the air in exasperation. "Are you that dense?"

"Uh…ya."

The redhead let his arms flop back to his sides. "We had coffee. We went to this little all-night coffee place, and he got me coffee. We spent all night talking. That's _it_. He didn't ask me to his place. I invited him here, but he declined." Genesis sighed. "Is there something wrong with me?"

"You're a slut?"

The glare could have ignited tinder.

"What?" Angeal defended himself. "It's true! You sleep with anything with a dick. There's nothing wrong with wanting to get to know someone before sleeping with them. It's called _dating_, and some people still practice it."

"Dating," Genesis stated in disbelief. "He thinks we're _dating_."

"Probably." Angeal took a long drink of his beer. Sometimes he needed it when dealing with his long time friend. He loved Genesis in the way only best friends and occasional lovers can, but there were times when he couldn't fathom the depths of the redhead's mind.

"I…" Genesis searched, looking lost. "Maybe dating won't be so bad. He was awfully sweet, despite the fact he can't finish a sentence without the word 'fo.'"

"Well, there you go!" Angeal went with it. He just wanted to drink his beer, watch the rest of the game, and go to bed.

Genesis nodded to himself, probably thinking of his next moves.

"Hey, have you seen Sephiroth?" Angeal inquired.

Genesis shook his head. "Not since we parted last night."

"Well, I kept getting all these calls from accounting…"

TBC…


	14. Chapter 14

Rating: PG-13 this chapter

Warnings: Very AU, language

Disclaimer: I do not own FFVII or its characters. I make no money from this fiction.

Summary: Opening night for Midgar Dance Company's newest show may be the beginning of something more than just a hot new act.

*********************************************

Cloud's delicate nose wrinkled in distaste. "_How_ many calories is in this again?"

"Not enough to feed a gnat."

"Are you _sure_?"

Sephiroth sighed and hung his head. This was getting more than a little ridiculous. He hadn't believed it would be this hard to encourage the little dancer to eat. The General had thought that a few well placed admissions of love and veiled threats would whip Cloud into shape in no time.

Wrong, wrong, and _wrong_.

"Cloud, it's a fucking salad. No dressing, no croutons, no meat, no _anything_ that makes a salad actually taste good. There is lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, a few mandarin oranges-"

"Ha!"

"Ha, what?"

Cloud gloated a little. "There's _mandarin oranges_ in it. Those are fucking _marinated_ in syrup with all that _sugar_ and _fat_ and-"

Sephiroth groaned and tossed his head back. "Cloud, you are being obstinate, as well as fucking annoying. Just pick the oranges out if you don't want them."

"But they got syrup juice all over the rest of the salad."

Sephiroth's jaw dropped in utter disbelief. "You actually believe that by ingesting less than a quarter teaspoon of mandarin orange syrup you will get fat?"

Blushing, Cloud nodded a little and pushed away the bowl of salad.

"Cloud, you can't live on IV drips forever."

"Watch me."

The General shook his head and slid up onto the bed. He took a fork-full of salad and pushed it into Cloud's face. "Eat, or I make you eat."

Blue eyes burned with anger, and pouty lips pursed tightly together.

"Oh, for Gaia's sake, Cloud! You're going to let yourself die? Fine. Just…fine." Sephiroth threw the fork down on the tray and stood roughly. He grabbed the coat he had thrown over the back of the chair. "Let me know when you decide to live." With that he stormed out of the hospital room, leaving a sullen and very frightened Cloud sitting alone in a sterile white hospital bed.

In a fit of childish rage, Cloud flung the tray with his lunch to the floor with a scream of frustration. Why couldn't anyone understand? All they did was yell and insist that they knew _better than him_. Why couldn't they see that the thought of gaining weight was fucking terrifying? Just the thought of eating made Cloud nauseous.

He clenched his hands tightly enough to leave fingernail imprints in his palms. His pretty little face screwed up into a mask of fury. However, the fury quickly passed for despair. Slender hands unclenched, and Cloud buried his face in them. "Sephiroth?" he sobbed, hoping that being completely pathetic would magically make Sephiroth appear before him.

Surprisingly, it worked.

The silver haired man walked back into the room. Had he even truly left, or had he stood waiting outside room?

Throwing his coat back on the chair, Sephiroth sat down on the bed again and took Cloud into his arms. "Maybe…maybe I'm going about this wrong," the warrior sighed. "I think we need someone more…adept at fixing these types of problems then I am."

"Who would that be?" Cloud asked, sniffling.

"Perhaps…a psychiatrist?"

Cloud went stiff in his arms, and Sephiroth hesitantly drew back to see Cloud's expression.

Reluctance. "I don't need a shrink."

"You need something, and that something obviously isn't me or a medical doctor. We can't help you. I…I can't help you." His voice was pained. "I've never had to surrender before. Not even in the worst of the war did I feel the need to surrender. I feel like I've failed you."

Cloud weakly punched his arm. "Now you're the one being stupid."

"Well, I'm obviously not helping you. I've barely gotten you to drink, let alone eat. Why can't you just eat?"

"It's not that easy!" Cloud bellowed, pounding his small fists into Sephiroth's chest. "It scares me, ok? I'm fucking terrified. Like…like if I take a bite, I'll lose _everything_. Gods, I sound so _stupid_." Cloud splayed one hand over his face as it scrunched up in frustration.

"You can't control the world by controlling what you eat," Sephiroth said gently.

Cloud looked stunned for a moment, as if an epiphany had just wacked him upside the head with a Buster sword. "I…I guess I can't."

*********************

"Midgar Dance Company. How can I direct your call?"

"I'm looking to speak to the director of _Seventh Heaven_. I believe his name is Marluxia."

"Marluxia isn't available right now, would you like to leave a message?"

"That would be fine, thank you."

"Hold on one moment while I transfer you."

Pause…Ring. "You have reached the voicemail of Marluxia, director for the Midgar Dance Company. Please leave a message after the tone."

Beep.

"Marluxia, this is General Sephiroth of Shinra. I just wanted to let you know that your principle, Cloud, will not be performing for the next…well…few weeks. He is on a leave of absence until further notice. If you have a problem with that, I'll gladly stuff your head up your own ass. I expect he will have a job when he returns. Otherwise…well…we could have a problem. I also wanted to speak to you about your standards, but we can wait until another time. I hope you have a wonderful day."

Click.

***********************

Cloud walked into Sephiroth's apartment cautiously. He still felt like he was walking on sacred ground, even though he had been here before. Still a little weak from his stay in the hospital, Cloud wanted nothing more than to burrow into Sephiroth's warm, comfortable bed and sleep for ages. The silver haired man himself had his arm slung around Cloud's boney shoulders.

Sephiroth listened for any signs of activity in the apartment. He heard the TV in Zack's room, accompanied by what sounded like Zack jerking off. Lovely. "Do you want to go lay down?"

Cloud nodded and adjusted the duffle bag hanging around his neck more comfortably. Sephiroth guided the smaller man down the hallway and into his room. Cloud let his bag fall the floor, not caring where it landed. The dancer walked sluggishly to the bed and practically fell onto it.

"Do you really want to sleep in your clothes?" Sephiroth asked as he sat on the bed.

Cloud shook his head and heaved a sigh. "I suppose I need to get back up, don't I?"

Sephiroth smiled. "Just for a few moments."

Cloud drug himself into a sitting position, and with Sephiroth's help he managed to get undressed and wrapped into a pair of sweatpants and a too big t-shirt. Sephiroth tucked the little blond comfortably into the large bed and kissed his forehead. "I'm going to make a few calls. I'll be back in a bit."

Cloud nodded, snuggling deeper into the bed.

Sephiroth left the already dozing dancer and quietly shut the door behind him. He immediately turned down the hallway and knocked on Zack's door.

"I'm naked!" came the cry from inside.

The General sighed and leaned his head against the dark wood panel. "Can you not be for a few moments?"

"…maybe." The sound of rustling clothes.

"Can I come in?"

More rustling and a _thump_. "Sure!"

Sephiroth breathed deeply and centered himself before cracking open the door slowly.

It was like entering a war zone in Wutai.

How the younger SOLDIER could live in the disaster area that was his quarters, Sephiroth would never know. He could smell the stale odor of unwashed clothing, dirty plates and glasses, and stagnant dust. Zack's senses were nearly on par with Sephiroth's own, so why he insisted on the mess was beyond the General's ability to reason. He picked his way over piles of…_things_ that might have been _moving_ if one looked close enough.

Zack actually _was_ clothed, just a comfortable pair of workout pants, but clothed none-the-less. The brunet was frantically throwing things under the bed. Sephiroth caught the flash of pornographic magazines of both the male and female varieties before the glossy pages were unceremoniously shoved out of sight.

He sat gingerly on the side of the bed, hoping he would be remotely safe there. You couldn't catch something for just _sitting_ on a bed, could you? Even if you were clothed?

…he certainly hoped so.

Zack flopped down onto the bed, causing Sephiroth to bounce a little.

"What can I do ya for? Or can I just do ya?"

"I'm already sick of the innuendo. Stop it."

"Oooookay. So?"

Sephiroth's face displayed a rare show of vulnerability. "I need your help."

Zack was dumbfounded. "Are you…you're really…wow. I never thought I'd see the day the mighty Sephiroth asked for help."

"If you make a big deal of this I'll walk out of here and ask somebody else."

Zack raised his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. What could little old _me_ do for _you_?"

Sephiroth looked at Zack sharply, critically. "I've read your files, Fair. Every. Last. Page. Even the files from, what was it, Midgar University?"

Zack's shit-eating grin disappeared. "Ya? What about it?"

"You have a doctorate in psychiatry, Zack. A fucking _doctorate_. In _psychiatry_." He paused for a moment, watching as Zack looked uncomfortable. "You received that degree from one of the most difficult schools to be accepted into on the continent. I don't know how you did it on top of going through SOLDIER, as well as being only _twenty two_. I don't really want to know, but I need you to help Cloud. I don't…_think_ like a normal person. I don't know that I ever could. I can't help him. I love him, and I can't help him." Sephiroth looked like a General that just lost the war.

Zack sighed as he leaned back. "Seph…no."

"Don't fucking tell me _no_," he snarled.

"Whoa, just chill for a second and let me explain," Zack held up his hands in surrender. "I didn't get that degree to fix people that are fucked up in the head. I got it so that I would understand people better," the brunet dug the heels of his hands into his eyes, clearly at a loss.

"To understand people better?"

"Technically, to understand _you_ better."

Sephiroth was flabbergasted. "I'm, sorry?"

Zack heaved a long-suffering sigh. "You are notoriously fucked up in the head. Genesis and Angeal as well to some extent, but you most of all. Once I had met you, I knew I could never really be like you until I understood you: how you think, how you feel, how you see the world around you. I wanted so badly to _be like you_, that I did what I thought I had to. I've always been smart," here he grinned ruefully, "despite what others might think. I learn quick." He tapped his temple. "Photographic memory. Useful, to say the least. I used everything I learned to…well…pick you guys apart so to speak."

Sephiroth shook his head in disbelief. "And what did you find, after picking us apart?"

"That as much as I loved you guys, I never, ever wanted to be you. That much mental _ow_ shouldn't even exist."

"I…can understand that." The silver haired man looked away, unable to meet Zack's gaze. "But…you had to of learned _something_-"

"I learned a lot, Seph. I just don't want to be the one you blame when Cloud can't be fixed."

Regarding Zack closely, Sephiroth responded, "You sound so sure he cannot be helped."

"Listen, you know me. I always look at the bright side of life. I want things to be all rainbows and unicorns, but I know that if I screw up I'll lose my best friend. I don't want that. For me or for you. I think I'm a good influence you couldn't do without," he grinned cheekily.

"What if we went into this with the understanding that I won't blame you? If you truly can't do anything, we'll go to a different doctor. I'd rather have you picking through Cloud's brain than some stranger."

Zack watched Sephiroth's face closely. "Can you really do that? Can you be objective like that? I've seen you be emotional over things I never would have expected, and completely unfazed by things that put me on my ass."

"As long as I understand going in that it's a long-shot." Sephiroth grinned sadly. "It's like going into battle knowing the odds are very much _not_ in your favor. If you lose, that is what is to be expected. If you win, you count your blessings, dig in, and push forward again."

Zack smiled. "Leave it to you to make this into a war analogy."

An elegant shrug. "It is how I was raised."

"Ya…I know."

************************

It was dark in the streets of under-plate Midgar. Dark things lurked in the corners of alleys and shadowed corners. Genesis wasn't afraid of them. After all, there wasn't anything on Gaia that could challenge him and win (besides Sephiroth, but that was total _headache_ in and of itself).

The redhead himself was hidden in a dark corner, waiting outside _Fenrir Ugly_ for Tall, Dark, and Sexy. The doors had closed not long ago, and Barrett would be off work as soon as the last of the drunks were out on the asses in the street.

Sure enough, a few more minutes of waiting proved fruitful as the door opened to let the bouncer out. He turned to relock the door behind him. Genesis snuck up silently as the key slid into the lock and the sound of the tumblers turning reached his ears.

Barrett turned and let out a startled _shriek_ as he almost ran into the red-clothed man that stood not a breath away.

Genesis laughed. "You scream like a girl."

The dark man heaved in breath after breath to calm his jittering heart. "For Gaia's sake, wear a damned bell!"

The redhead sighed and draped himself over the larger man. "Why to people keep telling me that?"

"Because you're going to fucking give someone a heart attack!"

"Oh, come on," Genesis said sweetly. "You're a healthy, hearty man. You shouldn't be scared by someone sneaking up on you."

"You sneak good."

"There are other things I'm much better at," he purred, hitching up one leg to wrap it around the bigger man's muscular leg.

Barrett swallowed, heart speeding for a different reason now.

"Why don't you let me show you what I'm good at?" His little, pink tongue came out to lick red, red lips.

"I-I, you, but-well," Barrett sputtered.

Genesis smirked and stretched up to kiss the bigger man…

…but his plans were duly destroyed by the door opening up to shove into Barrett's back.

The big man 'oooofed' loudly and almost fell forward onto Genesis. The redhead squeaked, realizing he was about to be squashed. They both managed to balance enough to merely stumble away, rather than fall into an undignified heap.

Genesis glared at the intruder into his smooth moment. It was one of the stupid little bartenders. What was his name? Sally? Sorsha?

"Sora?" Barrett muttered, blushing at being caught with his hand in the cookie jar, so to speak.

"Hey, Barrett," the little nuisance piped, clearly unfazed by interrupting what had been turning into a very promising situation.

Genesis was going to kill him. "I think we should get going," he huffed, grasping onto Barrett's arm like he was his favorite toy, and one of the other kids wanted to play with him.

"Uhhh…sure. Night, Sora," Barrett waved.

"Night!"

Genesis 'hmphed' and ushered his prize away. Tall, Dark, and Sexy was his, and there wasn't anyone he was willing to share with.

…besides maybe Sephiroth.

…or Angeal.

…_aaaand_ maybe Zack. If he pleaded really hard. And wore a puppy costume.

What? They taught you to share with your friends, right? Isn't that what kids went to kindergarten to learn? Sharing? Or was that drawing circles and clay hand prints?

Whatever.

TBC…


	15. Chapter 15

Pairings: Sephiroth/Cloud

Rating: PG-13 this chapter

Warnings: Very AU, language

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Do not sue, all I got are college loans, and this isn't helping to pay them off.

Summary: Opening night for Midgar Dance Company's newest show may be the beginning of something more than just a hot new act.

*******************************************

Cloud had been staying in the apartment for an entire week before Zack tried to approach him. The blond had been visited by dozens of friends that Zack both ogled and cringed at in turn. Seriously, what was with that chain-smoking, swearing _disaster_ that came by yesterday? Nice body, but he'd never hit that in a million years.

The occupants of the apartment had been avoiding Cloud and Sephiroth like the plague. Both were rather hard to deal with. It was hard to judge Cloud's mood, as it fluctuated between sobbing at the drop of a hat and moody surliness. Sephiroth simply stalked around the apartment in an obvious fury.

And the _fights_.

It was pretty quiet when just Cloud was home. He spent most of the time sleeping and for the most part they left him alone. They all knew that the blond wasn't eating for most of the day, since he never left the bedroom and none of the food magically disappeared from the fridge while they were gone. That was what most of the fights were about. Sephiroth would slip away for a few hours to work, he'd come back and head straight to the bedroom. A few minutes later the yelling would start, and Zack, Angeal, and Genesis would hide in their rooms.

Zack had tried to talk to Sephiroth about it, but the silver haired man was too anxious and upset to really have a constructive conversation. It wasn't healthy for the pair to be arguing so violently, especially since they were so new to each other. Zack knew how attached Sephiroth was to Cloud. The general was head over heels in love with the small dancer, and Cloud…

Cloud didn't know what he wanted yet.

The blond didn't even know if he was in love with Sephiroth yet. He liked the older man well enough, that much was obvious. However, it was also obvious that Cloud wasn't completely convinced that he was absolutely _in love_ with Sephiroth, and Zack was afraid that meant Cloud would leave. There was _something_ keeping him there, but all it would take was to be pushed over that edge and the blond would leave.

Zack didn't know if it would be more detrimental to Cloud or Sephiroth.

Zack knocked on the door to Sephiroth's room before he quietly slipped in. Cloud was sleeping and still looked ill, tired, and harried. The bigger man sat on the bed and gently stroked Cloud's soft blond hair. Blue eyes blearily blinked open and took a moment to focus on the person touching him.

"Hey Zack," Cloud croaked out. His voice was hoarse, and Zack assumed it was from crying. The blond's eyes were even puffy and red, so he must have fallen asleep only a short while ago.

Feeling guilty about waking Cloud from much needed sleep, Zack smiled and said, "Hey, Spiky."

"What're ya doin'?" Cloud mumbled and sat up, wiping at his eyes.

Zack shrugged and helped put a couple of pillows behind Cloud's back. "Nothin'. Just wanted to see how you were feeling."

Cloud sighed and closed his eyes in exasperation. "Why does everyone have to ask me that?"

"Because we worry about you. I haven't known ya long, kid, but you've grown on me. I just want to make sure you're ok."

Cloud blushed and averted his eyes. "You don't have to do that. Sephiroth does enough babying for you all." The last was said with a heavy amount of annoyance that boarded on severe aggravation.

"I take it you don't like it?" Zack asked, trying to be as unobtrusive as possible while still analyzing the blond. Cloud didn't know about Zack's promise to Sephiroth, and he was going to keep it that way. It was terribly underhanded, and Zack hated it. However, he made a promise and he'd do what he could to help out the little blond, both because he wanted to see Sephiroth happy and because he really _was_ growing to like the little shit. He was really rather cute, in a little brother kind of way.

He was going to have to give the blond a wet-willy later.

Cloud snorted and petted the blanket in an effort to not look at Zack. "He just gets so _intense_ about stuff, ya know? He gets something set into his head and if it doesn't happen he totally freaks the fuck out. I just…I need…time I guess."

"Time for what?"

"To…shit I don't know. I can't just _do shit_. I've had my whole life thrown at me without so much as a by-your-fucking-leave, and this is…" Cloud trailed off, trying to search for words to describe what he meant.

"This is something you can control," Zack said softly.

Cloud's eyes widened a little bit and he looked at Zack sharply. "Sephiroth said the same thing to me at the hospital."

Zack shrugged and leaned back on his hands. "Sephiroth's a logical guy, Cloud. And, sorry to say, but it's kind of obvious."

Cloud's face flushed a little in embarrassment and anger. "I don't need you to be telling me how to 'fix my unfortunate affliction'," Cloud mocked in a parody of Sephiroth's low baritone.

"That's not what I'm trying to do Cloud," Zack said with such honesty that the blond pursed his lips and didn't snap out the comment that he had on the tip of his tongue.

"Then _what_ do you want? You came in here for _something_."

Zack looked at Cloud with an unwavering, honest gaze. "I just want to talk to you about it. I'm assuming you've never really talked to anyone about it before."

Cloud looked down and picked at the blanket again. "No," he replied quietly.

"Would you like to? You know I won't judge you, Spike. I'm just here to be your friend." _And pry into your mind for my persistent fucking friend_.

Cloud shrugged. "I don't even know what to say."

"How about starting with calling it what it is," Zack suggested.

A blond eyebrow cocked upward. "I'm sorry?"

"Say it out loud," Zack coaxed gently. "Say what's wrong out loud. Say the word. Tell me what's wrong with you."

The blond swallowed and opened his mouth. He struggled for a moment then sighed a wavering, pathetic little sigh. He tried again, croaking for a moment before covering the side of his face with one hand. Tears came down the pale cheeks as Cloud lowered his head. "I can't say it. That makes it real."

Zack touched Cloud's hand supportively. "It's hard, and I'm really sorry for that. I can't tell you that I know what you're going through because I don't. I've never had this happen to me and I don't know what you're feeling or what you're dealing with. But I'm your friend, and I'm here to help you through it."

Cloud sniffed loudly and clutched Zack's hand in his own as he very quietly and very uncertainly whispered, "I have….I'm…I can't eat."

"Can't?" Zack coaxed.

"I won't eat," Cloud correct as more tears rolled down his face. He shook with sobs a few times before he finally blurted out, "I'm a-a-anorexic. I'm trying to kill myself and everybody hates me for it."

Zack shushed him gently and scooted so he could hold Cloud close. The blond buried his face in Zack's neck and wept while the bigger man just rocked slowly back and forth. "Nobody hates you. We are _worried_ for you. It's not about being mad at you. Not at all."

"_Sephiroth_ hates me for it," Cloud choked. "He gets so mad, and I don't even have time to think he just…he yells so much. He won't listen, cause he thinks it should be just so fucking _easy_," the blond swore angrily through his tears. "He thinks he knows best, and he so fucking bossy. He keeps saying that he understands what I'm saying, and then he turns around and starts yelling at me again. And then," Cloud bawled, obviously at the end of rope and not caring how hysterical he was becoming, "And then he's such a fucking sweet, gorgeous, amazing guy, and I feel so _fucking_ bad for being mad at him. I can't be mad at him because he loves me, but I fucking _hate_ him when he's bossing me around. I just don't know what to do."

"You don't have to know what to do," Zack soothed, rubbing Cloud's back slowly. "Just talk to me and we can figure it out together, alright?"

Cloud nodded, words failing him and unable to speak through the tears anyway.

It was quite some time before the blond calmed enough to breathe normally. Zack didn't try to push anything, he just let Cloud sort out his thoughts and think for a bit.

"Feel a little better?" Zack asked, still holding the smaller body against his own. He felt Cloud nod against his shoulder and blond spikes tickled his nose. "Feel like talking to me a little bit?"

Cloud sniffed and nodded again. He pushed himself away from the other man and sat back against the headboard again. He huffed out a breath that stirred his bangs and reached for a box of tissues sitting on the side table. "I kind of made a mess of your shirt," Cloud said with a watery smile.

Zack shrugged good-naturedly with a handsome smile. "Tee-shirts make great hankies."

Cloud laugh a little, even though a few tears still managed to squeeze out of his eyes. The blond wiped his face and blew his nose before grabbing several more tissues out of the box and dabbing at his eyes every few moments.

It was painfully obvious to Zack that Cloud had never talked to anyone about his predicament, and probably never even thought of what he did or why. This was going to be hard. Really hard, and it wouldn't be the work of a day no matter how hard Sephiroth wished for it to be. This wasn't a battle, it was a siege. It was going to take time.

Zack started with the most important question. "Is this how you want to be? Do you like being the way you are?"

"Yes," Cloud answered truthfully.

"Do you know why?"

"I like being thin," Cloud said, gripping Zack's hand tightly.

"Do you think it makes you look better?"

"I…I don't really care how I look. I'm not big on looks," Cloud shrugged.

Zack searched is brain for another question. "Do you think _other_ people like you better when you're thin?"

Cloud started to shake his head then looked thoughtfully at the bedcover. "My director likes it when I'm thin. They've always liked it when I was on the low end of my weight range. Even back to my dance teachers in school. The more weight I lost, the better parts I got."

"So it makes you feel accomplished?"

The blond thought for a long minute. "I guess it does."

"Is there anything else in your life that makes you feel good about yourself?"

Cloud's eyes looked rather empty at that. "There is nothing else in my life. I dance. If I don't dance well I have nothing. I have to be thin to dance. That's all."

"What about your friends?"

"What about them?"

"Doesn't it feel good to have so many friends? You've had a lot of people in here checking up on you. Fuck, it's practically a revolving door. Do you think they care whether you're thin or not?"

Cloud's forehead wrinkled in confusion. "I guess…I like having lots of friends."

"Do you think they would stop being your friends because you gained weight?"

"…No."

Zack nodded and rubbed Cloud's arm. "Those people are your friends because they like you, not because they like the way you look. That's a big deal, Cloud. They're worried about you…"

"Don't you fucking use them to guilt me," Cloud said, but it came out more weak than the waspish reply he'd hoped to spit at Zack.

Zack held up a hand in supplication. "That's not what I'm trying to do, kid. I'm trying to say that you have a lot of people that care for you, more even than I do. That's a huge accomplishment. It's something to feel good about."

Cloud thought about it before nodding a little.

"They'll probably be there for you every step of the way, won't they?"

More tears were hastily wiped away as Cloud nodded vigorously, suddenly severely proud of himself.

"Well, that's a start."

****************************

Sephiroth entered the apartment with hesitance and no little bit of anxiety. He really didn't want to have another fight, but it seemed like an inevitable part of his day anymore. He was tired and frustrated and at the end of his rope. He just wanted to magically wake up to a happy and healthy Cloud.

He didn't want to go to sleep at night, wondering if Cloud would still be alive in the morning.

He'd been dead against Cloud leaving the hospital, but the blond had convinced Sephiroth it would be better to recover far away from that place of cold and white and doctors. Cloud had pleaded with tears in those big, blue eyes and the silver haired man couldn't say no. Especially when Cloud had asked to go _home_ with him. Cloud thought of Sephiroth as _home_. That was when he'd helped Cloud get discharged and brought him home, only to regret it not much later.

Cloud hadn't got any better, and here there weren't any IV's or doctors to monitor Cloud's chemical balances. He'd seriously contemplated pirating supplies from the labs and setting up his own IV drip for Cloud in their bedroom to make sure the blond was at the very least staying hydrated.

It was enough to make him insane.

Sephiroth sighed and wearily removed his boots as he heard someone rustling around in the kitchen. Curious, he neatly piled his boots in the little entry closet with everyone else's and went towards the noise. It was Zack, head stuck in the fridge and shuffling around various items.

"Hello, Zack," Sephiroth said as he leaned against the door frame.

The brunet came out of the fridge with bottle of beer in hand. "Hey," he greeted as he popped the top off the bottle and took a long drink. "Do you want something?" he gestured at the bottle.

"I'll have something, but not that horse piss."

Zack chuckled and they both moved into the living room and the fully-stocked bar that resided there. Sephiroth poured himself a more-than generous tumbler of something clear and almost a hundred percent alcohol and knocked it back without a wince before pouring himself another.

"Ya know," Zack said as Sephiroth downed his second drink. "Becoming an alcoholic isn't going to solve anything."

Sephiroth glared, but slowed down on his rapid liquor consumption. He put away the bottle he'd been pouring from and selected a scotch instead. A more normal helping of amber liquid was poured and Sephiroth flopped down on the couch. He closed his eyes and leaned back, swirling the liquor around in the glass but not drinking it.

The general's eyes flew open when Zack said, "I talked to Cloud today."

"Do you mean _talked to him_ talked to him?" Sephiroth demanded.

"Ya. We spent a long time together, and Seph," Zack shook his head. "This is absolutely not going to be a quick fix. You're going to have to be patient, and you're going to have to listen to me, and you're going to have to let go of a lot of shit you've been carrying around in you're thick head."

Sephiroth bristled, but Zack cut him off with a sharp gesture. "If you want to keep him around, you'll do what I say. If you want him alive you'll do what I say. No more of this bullshit you keep giving me. You're going to talk to me, you're going to listen to what I say, and you're going to do it. Am. I. Fucking. Clear?"

Thoroughly chastised and not wanting to show it, Sephiroth nodded and lowered his eyes.

Satisfied, Zack nodded and sank back into the couch he was sitting on. "Good. Now, we have a lot to talk about…"

TBC…


	16. Chapter 16

Pairings: Sephiroth/Cloud

Rating: PG-13 this chapter

Warnings: Very AU, language

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Do not sue, all I got are college loans, and this isn't helping to pay them off.

*******************************************

Gingerly, Sephiroth opened the door to him and Cloud's shared room. It was dark inside, and he could hear the sound of Cloud's slow, whispering breathing. Assured that the blond was asleep, Sephiroth quietly entered and closed the door behind him. He easily shed his clothes and forwent any pajamas as he slid into the bed.

Instinctively, Cloud turned over and snuggled into the larger man without even waking up. Sephiroth curled around the smaller body in a protective way, although the things Cloud needed to be protected from were on the inside and Sephiroth couldn't do jack shit to shield the blond from himself. The body was so small in his arms, nothing but skin stretched over sinew and bone.

By the Goddess what would he do if he couldn't save Cloud from this? He'd never failed at anything in his life. He'd survived Hojo. He'd conquered an entire nation. He'd lead armies through all manner of terrible battles against monsters and humans alike. But he couldn't save one beautiful, amazing person from himself.

Sephiroth caught his breath on a sob and held it in. He didn't want to wake Cloud, not by bawling like the little kid he'd never been. Never before in his life had Sephiroth been afraid. He had learned to over the years to identify his emotions. Rage, anger, irritation, annoyance, and disappointment he knew. But _fear_ had never been in the cards. Not even when he was a child in the labs. His youth had been filled with a haze of rampant fury that didn't clear until his first tour of Wutai with his new friends. Angeal and Genesis had taught him that life could be more than pain and anger.

And then…then he'd seen Cloud on stage for the first time three years ago.

*******Three years ago, Junon********

It was the day Sephiroth would fall in love with Cloud Strife, but he didn't know that yet. The supposed meetings he was attending were nothing but an irritating farce that made him want to kill everyone wearing a suit. Besides Genesis, that is. He actually looked rather nice in the suits he was wearing to the meetings in a rather dashing, mocking kind of way.

Thankfully, he had his evenings to himself. Even more thankfully, a ballet was playing at the beautiful theater near the hotel he was staying in. He'd seen it twice now and hurriedly making his way through the streets to see it for a third time. It was one of his favorites, the wonderful classic _Swan Lake_. He'd always believed it was one of the most beautiful ballets he'd ever seen, and it was a wonderful way to distract him from killing people he probably shouldn't.

Most everyone was in their seats by the time he arrived, and the lobby was almost empty except for stragglers and, of course, those that had been waylaid by people that had been so close to the edge of the Masamune they should have seen their lives flash before their eyes.

The silver haired man took the proffered program, even though he already had two others. He couldn't decide what made him save the flimsy pieces of paper, but they somehow made their way into a box that lived on the bottom of his closet.

Because really, Genesis might see and then it would be all over.

He climbed the stairs to his private box as he heard the applause that signaled the dimming of the lights and beginning of the show. He sighed, thankful he had made it in time. The general slipped into his box just as the music came up. He casually flipped through the program, and caught the slip of paper that denoted any substitutions in the evening's performance.

Scanning through the names, he frowned in disappointment as he saw that the male lead was being replaced. He'd actually quite enjoyed the previous dancer, and he was not sure he'd like this…Cloud Strife. He'd never heard of him, anyway.

He flipped to the back of the program and took a look at the biography for the understudy. The kid was only…thirteen? Were they serious? What thirteen year old could possibly…

And then he'd looked up.

And didn't look away for the entire performance.

The child was brilliant. Sephiroth had seen dozens of performances of this particular ballet, and none of them had ever been quite so beautiful.

The general had returned night after night, even extending his stay in Junon to watch the last two performances by the up-and-coming Cloud Strife. The seemingly inadvertent substitution had caused a wave of conversation through the high-class communities. The ballet was inundated by patrons who had already seen this particular show, but the hype about the prodigy child had everyone who was anyone returning to the theater.

On the last night, Sephiroth sat in his reserved box and debated with himself for the entire performance.

_Should he request an audience?_

Of all things the silver demon, the General of the Shinra Army, the greatest warrior to ever live felt…inadequate. How could he stand in the presence of perfection and possibly feel anything but…lacking.

He'd debated until it was too late, and the final bows were over, the curtains drawn, and everyone had emptied out of the theater.

On his walk back to the hotel, Sephiroth had stared at the little black and white picture in the back of his program. A young, beautiful face stared back at him. The smile was a little hesitant and even embarrassed, and Sephiroth knew that the pale grey eyes in the fuzzy picture were actually the most beautiful blue.

Sephiroth ducked into an alley and clutched the program to his chest. He didn't know what love was, but if anything Genesis said was even remotely right…

He might very well be in love with Cloud Strife.

…and he felt a little dirty.

Well, more than a little dirty. The dancer was only thirteen, and Sephiroth was…much too old to be thinking about a thirteen year old that way.

But…Gaia his heart hurt, and he longed for the next time he could see the perfect and beautiful Cloud.

What was he going to do?

*************************

What he did was ache and long and stalk until he'd finally managed to gather enough courage to ask for an audience with the dancer on the opening night of Cloud's big debut. Zack hadn't known and probably didn't care that _7__th__ Heaven_ was the first performance that had been specifically tailored to Cloud's abilities. The blond was the showcase, the center of attention, and Sephiroth knew that he couldn't wait one more moment before he came face to face with the star of his dreams.

What no-one knew when the general and Zack had entered the little dressing room was that inside, Sephiroth was an absolute mess. He could hardly talk, his hands were shaking, and he felt like he would throw up any second.

And Cloud…Cloud had been everything he'd ever imagined. He was even more stunning up close than he was on the stage. And…he was so sweet and demure and…and…he was even more in love than he'd ever been.

And now, the most perfect person in the world was lying in his arms, and Sephiroth knew without a doubt that Cloud wasn't so perfect. Yet, somehow being imperfect made him even more perfect if that made any sense.

Didn't the universe owe him something? Anything? Hadn't he been through enough? Couldn't he just have one, tiny, precious thing that was good in his life?

For the first time in his life, Sephiroth cried silently into his pillow.

***************************

Cloud woke up slowly, the light shining through the window enough to wake him but not enough to annoy him. His head ached already this morning, and the nausea he'd been fighting was pummeling him with full force. He sat up quickly and gagged a little with his hand over his mouth. Head spinning from moving so fast and he almost fell back to the bed when a strong, warm body embraced him from behind.

Grateful for the support, Cloud closed his eyes and fought back the urge to vomit. Strong hands stroked his arms and smoothed back his hair. After what felt like an eternity, Cloud collapsed back into his…his _boyfriend_. His talk with Zack yesterday had been good, and when the brunet had left Cloud felt like he finally understood himself and even Sephiroth a little bit better.

But…he was afraid. Cloud felt like he was failing Sephiroth in some horrible way, and there wasn't anything he could do about it. How could the blond ever live up to someone like _Sephiroth_? The man was a legend, a hero from literature come to life. How could a poor, insignificant, fucked up kid like him be anything that a great man like Sephiroth needed or even wanted?

The silver haired man kissed his temple and cheek gently and full of such love that it almost made Cloud cry.

"I don't want to fight," Sephiroth said quietly, hugging Cloud closer to him. "I just want to do what's right for you. I guess…I don't know what the hell I'm doing. My entire life has been the military, quite literally. In the military, there's yelling and yelling and more yelling. If you want something done right, you yell at someone to do it. I talked to Zack," at this Cloud's eyes widened and he turned so he could look at Sephiroth directly. Sephiroth kissed his cheek and continued, "I'm sorry that I thought yelling at you would help you in any way. I fucked up. Can you forgive me?"

"Me…forgive…you?" Cloud puzzled out. "But…I'm the one that's caused all the problems."

Sephiroth shook his head. "That's not the issue. I handled everything wrong. I should be…helping you. Not yelling at you."

Cloud leaned so his head rested on Sephiroth's shoulder. "I'm sorry, too."

"What for?"

"For not listening to you. For not being…right."

"Oh, Cloud," Sephiroth said, holding the smaller body tight. "If you knew how seriously messed up my head was you wouldn't say that."

Cloud smiled a little and closed his eyes. "I'm still tired."

"Would you please drink some water before you go back to sleep? It would make me feel better."

Cloud nodded, sleepy and willing.

Feeling as if he had just won a huge battle, Sephiroth reached for the glass sitting on the side table and gave it to Cloud. As the blond emptied the entire thing, Sephiroth felt an elation he'd never felt, even after winning the war.

He had Cloud back in bed in short order; the blond snuggled to his side. Sephiroth buried his face in blond hair and inhaled the scent of _Cloud_.

He needed to talk to Zack some more.

********************

Zack sighed as he knocked on the door to Tifa's apartment. He needed to get more of Cloud's things by Sephiroth's request, and he didn't have a key. He hoped the busty brunette was home because, besides _boobs_, he needed to get that crap before Sephiroth went _Enter the Dragon_ on his ass.

A few moments later, the door opened so the burglar-chain stretched taunt across the little opening. A big, doe-like eye stared out at him for a moment before the door was shut again. He heard the clink of the chain being removed before the door opened again to reveal a very despondent looking Tifa Lockheart.

"What do you need?" she asked as she crossed her arms across her boobs.

Zack stared for a moment before coughing and scratching his head. "I need to get into Cloud's apartment to get some more stuff. I thought you might have a key…"

Tifa sighed and turned back into her apartment. Zack entered behind her and looked around. It was the same as Cloud's with a few different pieces of old, probably discarded furniture she had rummaged off the street. The jeans she wore stretched nicely over her ass as she bent to go through her purse. Some men liked a little meat to their women, and Zack was one of them. She had a nice, rounded ass and strong looking thighs. The brunette wasn't the kind of woman with fake, plastic breasts implanted into a body of skin and bones that made them look out of balance and lopsided. She was very much a _real_ woman, and she was wearing the kind of jeans that had been worn into a buttery softness. He could only imagine what it would be like to run his hands down that ass and then over…

She turned around and shoved a key into his face.

"Here," she said in a clipped sort of way.

"Thanks," Zack said, pocketing the key and showing no signs of leaving.

Tifa frowned a little and moved around the large man to shut the door he had left open. "So," she said in a confused voice, "how is Cloud today?"

Zack shrugged and sat himself on the bed. He leaned back on his hands in a way that made him look perfectly at home. "He was still sleeping when I left this morning. I didn't want to wake him up."

Tifa sat down on the one chair in the room and put her head in her hands. "Do you think he'll be alright?"

Zack shrugged again. "I can't be sure. He's got a lot to fight against."

Tifa nodded, then lifted her head to smile a little cynically. "You know, we were going to move in together. We had this whole thing planned to be roomies in some swank apartment with the money Sephiroth gave him. You know what he did when I went to see him two days ago?"

Zack shook his head and watched as Tifa started tearing up. "He gave me a check. I could tell he made it out himself because he spelled my name wrong," she laughed a little then clenched her eyes shut. "But…he got the numbers right, even the spelling. He gave me enough to pay off all of my student loans and buy a condo or something. It was everything that Sephiroth gave him. He said," she choked up and had to take a second before she could continue. "He said that, just in case he…he didn't make it, that he wanted me to…to have," she couldn't finish. It hurt too much to think of her best friend dying.

Zack moved from the bed to kneel in front of the distraught girl. He took her hands and pulled them away from her face. "Hey," he said softly. "I'd be scared too, if my best friend was as sick as Cloud is. Hell, _I'm_ afraid for Cloud and I haven't known him more than a couple of weeks."

"There's nothing I can do," Tifa said, feeling lost. "_He_ even thinks he's going to die, and I feel so fucking _useless_."

Zack reached up and cupped her face. "You kept him going for this long, didn't you?"

Tifa shook her head, and Zack could feel more tears coursing down her cheek under his palm. "I never said anything to him. I just thought if I ignored it, it would go away. I didn't know what to do, or what to say. How could I possibly tell him he's sick when he has to be that way to stay in a production?"

Zack didn't have an answer for her, so what he said was, "It wasn't your fault."

"No, but I could have done something. Did you know he almost died from this before?"

Zack shook his head mutely.

"When he was like…ten. I didn't even know the word for it then. He stopped eating so he could get into the advanced classes. They required certain weight requirements at certain heights. We talked on the phone a lot, and he was telling me all about it. He was so excited, and what the fuck did I know? I was _ten_. Then, he didn't call me for like, a month. I called the school, and they said he was in the hospital. I begged my dad to let me go see him, and luckily he took me. You should have seen him. He was worse than he was now. They didn't think he was going to live. Then, I told him that if he just ate a little bit, I'd convince my dad to let me go the same boarding school he was at. I couldn't believe it when he did what I asked. He started eating again, a little bit anyway. So I did what I promised and had my dad send me to Cloud's school. I think he let me go mostly to get me out of his hair. Having a ten year old bugging him constantly couldn't have been easy." She shrugged. "I was a shitty dancer," she smiled.

Zack smiled back at her. "Unless you count how awesome my Macarena is, I'm a shitty dancer too."

Tifa laughed and wiped at her eyes. "Look at me, shoving my life story in your face like you want to hear it."

"Maybe I do," Zack said as his hand moved from her face to hold her hand. "I'd like to get to know you better."

Tifa's face went tomato red with the force of her blush. "Really?"

"Ya, really."

"This isn't because you're doing a favor for Cloud or anything?"

Zack shook his head. "It's mostly because I like your boobs."

Tifa's eyes went wide with shock and then she punched Zack's arm and screamed in outrage. "You're a pervert!"

Smiling devilishly, Zack leaned forward and asked, "And don't you think it's cute?"

"…maybe a little," Tifa admitted with a guilty smile.

"Well," Zack said, "Let's get some of Cloud's crap and then go get something to eat, on me."

Tifa blushed again but nodded.

"Well, let's skedaddle then." Zack stood and held out his hand.

Tifa took that large, strong hand and let him pull her to her feet. She grabbed her purse as they exited and as she turned to lock the door behind her, she thought, _Maybe my knight in perverted armor showed up after all_.

TBC…


	17. Chapter 17

Pairings: Sephiroth/Cloud

Rating: R this chapter

Word Count: 4010 this chapter

Warnings: Very AU, language, yaoi

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Do not sue, all I got are college loans, and this isn't helping to pay them off.

A/N: I finally wrote a little bit of smut, people. _Finally_.

* * *

Cloud stood in the kitchen, staring at the refrigerator. No one else was in the apartment, and the place seemed very large and intimidating without the larger-than-life personalities that usually inhabited it.

Tacked to the fridge door was a piece of paper with a neat, concise list printed on it. Cloud had taken lots of time and read it. He'd deciphered every word, slowly and meticulously until he knew the list by heart.

It was food.

Each meal was planned, what he should eat and when. They were terribly simple, but oh-so complicated to someone who wanted nothing to do with it. A calorie count was listed beside each item and a total in bold numbers at the bottom. It wasn't a large amount of calories, all told. Cloud knew it would be just enough to keep him going, to keep him from…he shook his head.

He'd need more than that to regain a more normal body mass, but the list was a start.

He just…had to actually do it.

He had to eat.

His whole body shook with weakness. It was only a matter of time. He _knew_ if something didn't change, he wouldn't last much longer.

An empty glass sat on the counter. A few beads of moisture still clung to the inside. Cloud had felt rather triumphant after drinking an entire glass of water himself without any prompting.

The refrigerator stared back at Cloud, its stainless steel surface cold and imposing in the gleaming overhead lighting. The list was a bright white blemish on the perfect shining surface. Cloud knew without looking what was listed under the 'lunch' heading. Chicken broth. Two cups of chicken broth.

He could do that. It was just flavored water…right. Ya. That's all it was. Flavored water.

Slippered feet padded softly on the tiled floor. The squeaking whine of the door opening sounded a lot like a trumpeting fanfare to Cloud's ear. Among the bottles of beer, leftover takeout containers, and condiment bottles stood a plastic-wrap covered bowl. Cloud reached in and wrapped his fingers around the cold, ceramic surface and pulled it out. The fluid inside sploshed on the sides as Cloud walked over the counter and sat it down. He pulled the wrap off the top, balled it up and threw it in the trash.

A deep breath.

He could do this. Just a little bit more.

Cloud picked up the bowl and popped open the microwave. The bowl went in, the door was shut, and Cloud punched the buttons he'd spent several minutes staring at earlier.

A minute and a half later, the microwave beeped at him.

He could do this.

A spoon was retrieved from the drawer, the bowl was pulled from the microwave, and Cloud sank to the floor.

It was hard. It was impossible.

He was _going_ to do it.

The spoon lifted a small amount of broth to Cloud's lips which opened and accepted the fluid. The blond almost gagged, his whole body shuddering at the feeling of something that tasted in his mouth.

He fought it. He fought it with everything he had, and he swallowed.

One bite down, the entire bowl to go.

Each spoonful was agony, and whatever he'd just eaten kept threatening to come up, but Cloud managed to choke down the entire thing. He set the bowl on the floor and slumped against the cabinets. Christ, he felt so drained. It felt like he'd been stomped on and beaten and he could hardly hold his head up.

He was so tired.

Cloud fell asleep on the kitchen floor, propped up against the cabinets.

* * *

Genesis stepped out the elevator and into his shared apartment. He toed off his boots and slung off his heavy leather coat. Taking a moment to stretch, Genesis ruffled his hair and walked into the kitchen. He was slightly puzzled as to why the lights would be on, but the reason was suddenly apparent as he came around the corner and found Cloud sitting on the floor, passed out cold.

"Ah. Poor little mouse," Genesis clucked as he bent down and picked up the small form. The blond didn't even react as Genesis carried him into Sephiroth's bedroom. He tucked the boy into the bed and switched off the lights.

Sighing, he went back to the kitchen to make himself a snack.

An empty bowl sat on the ground, and Genesis bent over and picked it up. Puzzled, he looked around and caught sight of the list on the fridge. He peered at it, then opened the fridge door. One of the carefully prepared meals Sephiroth had stashed inside was gone.

Genesis smiled.

The little soldier might just make it after all.

* * *

Sephiroth stood outside the door of his room with a bowl of hot broth in his hands. He sighed, straightened his shoulders, and went inside. The General almost hadn't believed Genesis when the redhead reported that Cloud had eaten the bowl of broth that he'd left in the fridge. Maybe the blond had just poured it down the drain?

Or maybe he had eaten it.

It was approaching dinner time, anyway. Time for another battle.

Sephiroth flipped on the lights and approached the bed.

Cloud grunted at the sudden flood of brightness in the previously dark room. Wide, blue eyes blinked rapidly to adjusted, then narrowed in irritation.

"M' sleepin'," Cloud grumbled and pulled the blankets over his head.

Sephiroth couldn't help but smile. The blond really was too cute for words. "I've brought you something, if you want it."

The bundle under the blankets grunted. "Gimme a minute. I need ta wake up."

The General put the bowl down on a side table then sat on the bed. "Did you rest well today?" Sephiroth asked, when what he really wanted to say was, _Did you really eat the meal I left for you_?

"Ya. I slept pretty good today." A blond head made a reappearance. Cloud's pretty blue eyes seemed a little clearer to Sephiroth, even if they were still very tired. Cloud sat up and rubbed his tired eyes before smoothing random locks of hair out of his face. "What did you bring?"

"Just some broth," Sephiroth said. He wasn't going to push it. He wasn't. It was Cloud's decision, and he was just going to be supportive of-

"Ok," the blond said quietly.

Hardly daring to hope, Sephiroth's hands almost shook as he picked up the bowl and passed it to Cloud.

Sephiroth couldn't help the sigh of relief that escaped his lips when Cloud took a bite. Neither said anything as Cloud ate his meal. He didn't finish it, but Sephiroth hardly cared. It was more than he could have possibly asked for.

"Would you like some water?" the silver haired man asked, and cleared his throat as the edge of tears played out in a slight hoarseness to his voice.

"Ya, sure," Cloud said with a small smile.

Sephiroth nodded and took the bowl back out to the kitchen. Glass of water in hand, the silver haired man returned to the bedroom and handed it to Cloud. The blond drank most of it and set the remainder on the bedside table.

"Come here," Cloud invited and patted the bed beside him.

The silver haired man sat down and pulled Cloud into his arms. "Thank you," the older man whispered. "You have no idea how much this meant…"

"I don't want to die," Cloud whispered back.

"I know. I know you don't. I don't want you to leave me. I don't know what I'd do if…"

"Don't," Cloud chided, leaning up to kiss Sephiroth's cheek. "I'm trying. I'm going to do this."

"I know you will." Sephiroth kissed Cloud back. "One of these days, I'm not going to get cock-blocked and I'm going to work you over so good," the bigger man purred, humor in his voice.

"Poor baby," Cloud laughed, snuggling deeper into the other man's hold. "All riled up and no-one to fuck."

"I have someone to fuck," Sephiroth retorted. "He's just not…feeling well at this time."

"I'll feel better eventually," Cloud yawned, exhausted and falling into sleep again. "Then you can lay all the miles of pipe you want."

Sephiroth chuckled. "I'll hold you to that."

"Mmm-hmm," Cloud responded before a deep breath heralded his fall back into slumber.

* * *

"You're such a pervert," Tifa laughed, punching Zack in the arm.

That was the _millionth_ time she'd said that today.

Not that Zack didn't deserve it.

Zack grinned goofily and put a friendly arm around Tifa's shoulders…then promptly looked down her shirt.

"_Stop it_. I'm going to get a complex."

"Baby, I'd complex you all night long."

Tifa threw back her head and laughed. "Oh my _God_, you're such a dork."

"Did you enjoy yourself today?"

The brunette leaned into the man beside her, a little bashfully and a little playfully at the same time. "Ya. You're kind of fun to be around when you're not perving all over me."

Zack's smile was all teeth and merriment. "Would you wanna…do it again?"

"Maaaybe," Tifa drew out, looking up at the man from underneath her eyelashes.

"Maaaybe, would you like to meet a good friend of mine while we're at it?"

"Who would that be?"

"My mentor, Angeal," Zack said as he guided the pretty woman around the bustling Wall-Market plaza.

"Isn't he some big-wig SOLDIER?"

"Hey," Zack laughed, "I'm some big wig SOLDIER too, ya know."

Tifa smirked and poked Zack in the ribs. "Sure ya are."

The man grinned and grabbed Tifa's hand. "So, what about it? Would you mind meeting him?"

"Sure. Why not. I'm kinda starting to learn you SOLDIER guys aren't all that bad," she said with a wink.

"Baby, you got it all wrong. We're absolutely _naughty_ sons-a-bitches. Wanna spank me?"

"Pervert!"

* * *

"It's kinda pretty from way up here," Cloud murmured from his perch on a patio chair situated on the penthouse balcony.

Sephiroth nodded and pulled the blond deeper into his embrace. A light blanket kept away the slight chill to the air. It was quiet out here without Genesis' personal rendition of _RENT_ going on at unbearable levels. It wasn't that they had anything against _RENT_, or even Genesis' singing. It was just that there were only so many times someone could hear "Seasons of Love" belted out and not want to throttle something.

The darkness around them was rather calming, and Cloud thought that they were so high up as to be out of the constant haze of Midgar's pollution if the deep breath of nearly-clean air was anything to go by. The lights of the bustling city twinkled around them, and beyond that was the darkness of the wastelands that surround Midgar.

"I've never really thought about it before, but you're right. It's not so…depressing from this vantage point, is it?" Sephiroth kissed Cloud's cheek.

"Hmm." Cloud turned his head and placed a soft peck on Sephiroth's lips. "Do you have to work tomorrow?"

"Only till noon."

"Would you be able to take me to my doctor's appointment then? I was gonna ask Zack, but if you're going to be home…"

"I'd love to, and I'm very glad you decided to go."

Cloud sighed. "I don't really want to. I hate doctors."

Sephiroth grinned. "You have no idea how much I agree with you on that one."

"Why don't you like doctors?"

The silver haired man snorted a laugh that ruffled Cloud's hair. "I could talk all night about it and not finish."

"You'll tell me sometime though?"

Sephiroth sighed. "Baby, I don't know if I can."

Cloud turned in the larger man's embrace until he could look Sephiroth in the eye. "You don't know if you _can_?"

A silver head shook dejectedly. "My childhood was filled with…doctors. Scientists. It still…isn't easy to talk about. In fact, I've never talked about it before. To anyone. The only reason Genesis and Angeal know as much as they do about me is they grew up with me for the most part. They were there. But even then…I've never talked to them. Not really. They'd probably tell you I'm some kind of mute."

"You talk a lot to me," Cloud protested and touched Sephiroth's sadly smiling face.

"You're the only one. I'm not…the talking type I guess. But with you…it's different. I hope that some day I'll be able tell you everything."

Cloud smiled. "I hope for that, too."

Sephiroth leaned in for a small, sweet kiss. "Thank you, for not badgering me about it."

The blond snorted and kissed the other man again. "I'm not as pushy as you are," Cloud grinned. "I can wait until you're ready." The dancer settled back in to Sephiroth's body. "So…is Genesis for real?"

Sephiroth guffawed with laughter for several minutes before settling down and wiping tears of mirth from his eyes. "Genesis is…Genesis. I don't know what else to say about it, really. He has a heart of gold in that odd little personality of his."

"I can't believe he's dating Barrett," Cloud smirked. "Tifa said Barrett is talking about it all the time at the bar, and from the sound of it he has no idea what he's doing."

"Genesis doesn't seem to know what in the hell he's doing, either," Sephiroth said. "The other day, he came out of his bedroom and asked me if he was wearing a suitable 'fourth date' outfit. I had no idea what he was talking about, so I just told him he looked fine. Fine apparently wasn't good enough, and he got all pissed off and stormed back into his room."

"It's kind of sweet," Cloud said, his smile making his nose wrinkle cutely.

Sephiroth laughed. "It is, I suppose."

The blond grasped a bigger, calloused hand in his own. "Have _we_ even been on a fourth date?"

"Mmm…don't think so," the General said. He flexed his hand in Cloud's. "We should do some more…dating…things."

"I don't know if I feel well enough to do dating things," the dancer admitted.

"We don't have to go anywhere to have a date. We can have a date right here."

"And how do we do that?"

Sephiroth was quiet for a moment. "Let me go ask Zack."

* * *

Zack shoved a bowl of popcorn in Sephiroth's hands with a flourish. "Sit back, relax, and enjoy your in-home date ala Zack."

"What are we watching?" Cloud asked as he watched the brunet put a DVD in the player. All the lights were off and the only illumination came from the blue screen of the huge TV that quickly switched over to previews.

"It doesn't matter," Zack said. He picked up the controller and skipped to the main menu.

"Well, I don't want to watch something stupid," Sephiroth said, popping some food in his mouth.

"The point of watching a movie at home is not to watch the movie," Zack replied as he started the film. He turned to regard the two men sitting on the couch.

They both looked hopelessly puzzled.

The SOLDIER sighed and flopped his arms to the side in a gesture of exasperation. "The whole point," he huffed, "is to make out. You don't watch the movie at all."

"Oh. I…see." Sephiroth said. He looked down at Cloud, who was cuddled into his side. "Does that sound good to you?"

"Sure. Why not?"

Zack rolled his eyes and tossed them a sloppy salute. "You're both hopeless. Have a nice night, kids."

The brunet left the living room, leaving Sephiroth and Cloud alone in the dark. The tv wasn't very loud. The sounds of the movie were quiet compared to the weighted look the two men gave each other.

Cloud smiled and, gathering his nerves, selected a piece of popcorn from the bowl. He popped it into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. Kettle corn. He liked kettle corn.

Sephiroth's eyes glowed with pleasure as Cloud took another kernel from the bowl and pushed it passed his plump, smiling lips.

"You couldn't have done anything sexier if you tried," Sephiroth murmured.

Cloud smiled. He was glad such a small thing could make the silver haired man so happy. "I'm just eating some popcorn," he responded in a flirty little tone.

"You're eating," Sephiroth sighed, kissing Cloud's forehead. "That's enough to give me an instant boner."

The blond's sweet peal of laughter rang through the room. "If I choked down a three course meal would you cum in your pants?"

"Probably," Sephiroth chuckled. "It's just…good to see you feeling better. Eating. It's so good."

"Zack gave me some good advice: just take it a little at a time. It's getting easier, really. Not _easy_, but…easier."

"Well," Sephiroth said with a suggestive lift to his eyebrows. "I suppose we should start with the necking."

Cloud snorted, covering his mouth with his hand. "You're freaking hysterical, you know that?"

"I don't think anyone's actually called me that before. I usually get 'hard-ass' or 'cold hearted prick' or something equally as charming."

The blond leaned up a little to kiss Sephiroth's chin. "I think you're sweet."

Sephiroth leaned down to kiss Cloud's soft, pliant lips. "I've never been called sweet before, either."

Cloud hummed under his breath while kissing the General deeply. Sephiroth was an ok kisser, the blond thought. His technique just needed a little adjusting…

The blond tilted his head a little more and opened his mouth wider. Sephiroth moaned quietly and let the smaller man guide him in the kiss. It was slow and deep and so much more than they had shared between them before. Truth be told, they hard hardly shared more than some snuggling and abbreviated, if extremely hot, kisses. Cloud coaxed Sephiroth's tongue into his own mouth to play for a bit. The bigger man took his time thoroughly exploring new territory.

Cloud was kind of surprised Sephiroth hadn't already perfected his kissing abilities. He figured that by this stage in his life, the General would have stellar tonsil-hockey skills.

Ah, well. Practice makes perfect, after all.

It wasn't long before Cloud ended up straddling Sephiroth's lap. The blond could feel the hard, tense muscles of the General's thighs shivering underneath him. Sephiroth's hands ghosted up and down Cloud's sides with touches that were almost _too_ soft.

"I'm not gonna break," the dancer whispered into Sephiroth's mouth before diving right back in.

Sephiroth kissed Cloud heatedly for another moment before responding. "Sorry. It's just that-"

"No buts," Cloud panted and slid his mouth to an ear hidden in silver silk. "Touch me."

He tried, he really did, but Sephiroth couldn't help it. His hands were soft, gentle and barely skimmed along the blond's back and ass.

Cloud broke away to stare Sephiroth in the eye. "Look. I'm a guy. You're a guy. Touch me like it."

"What if I-"

"Want to get into my pants? Go for it."

"I mean, what if-"

"You want to grope me? _Do it_."

Sephiroth's hands firmly, yet delicately held Cloud in place. "Stop cutting me off. I don't want to hurt you. You're just getting better and I don't want to…forget my own strength."

Cloud smiled a little lopsided smile. "You're such a fucking mother hen. It's just a little bump and grind." His smile softened into thoughtfulness. "I promise I won't let you go too far. Please, just keep kissing me. It feels so good." The last was whispered into Sephiroth's ear.

The silver haired man shuddered and turned his head a little to press deep, wet kisses into Cloud's throat. The blond purred and resumed kissing and licking the soft curl of Sephiroth's ear. A big, slightly unsteady hand slipped under Cloud's shirt to rest on the soft swell of the blond's lower back. Cloud hummed deeply at the feeling.

They slowly started to rub against each other. Sephiroth was more aware than ever of just how flexible Cloud's pelvis was. The range of motion as that hot ass rubbed over his fully fledged erection made the bigger man stutter a breath. Cloud's own erection stroked heavily against Sephiroth's stomach. The blond couldn't believe how hard the muscles there were. They were tensed, creating a firm, washboard surface to thrust against.

"Fuck," Sephiroth groaned. His hand on Cloud's back guided the blond in jerky, but fully enjoyable thrusts against his body. The friction, the heat, Cloud's mouth on his neck, Cloud's teeth on his earlobe…

Cloud's hands pulling his hair.

The General shuddered hard and pulled in a deep breath. "Cloud-ah. _Ah_!" he cried out as Cloud continued to pull fistfuls of hair through his hands.

"You like that?" the blond rumbled into Sephiroth's ear.

"Yes. Holy _fuck_," the silver haired man swore as Cloud gathered up the entire mass of hair and gripped it tight at the base Sephiroth's skull.

"How did I know you'd have a hair kink?" Cloud chuckled.

With a hard, almost harsh, jerk, Cloud pulled Sephiroth's head back and attacked his neck at the same time he ground down on Sephiroth's lap.

"Oh, _fu_-" Sephiroth gasped before closing his eyes tightly and cumming hard in his pants.

Cloud's thrusts stuttered and his breath came out in a high-pitched, wailing squeak as the sight of his partner in orgasm brought his own.

They panted hard together as a last few thrusts milked their peaks completely from their bodies. Cloud eventually slumped into Sephiroth's overly warm and sweaty body in complete exhaustion and satiation.

"I feel _sooooo_ good," the blond murmured.

Sephiroth smirked and laughed under his breath. "I can't believe I just dry-humped you in my living room."

The dancer snickered softly. "You liked it though…right?"

"I think the wet spot in my pants is kind of a clue as to how much I enjoyed it."

"And you didn't hurt me. I _told_ you it would be fine."

Sephiroth snorted and pulled Cloud closer to him. "I…think we got lucky."

"Damn straight we got lucky. I'd let you get even luckier if you know what I mean."

The silver haired man laughed. "That's not what I fucking meant and you know it."

Cloud smiled in mirth and kissed Sephiroth's cheek. "I know what you meant, and I think you're paranoid. Just relax and enjoy the afterglow."

"Fuck afterglow," Sephiroth smiled and deeply kissed the blond.

"Afterglow usually comes after fucking, yes."

"Shut _up_," Sephiroth chortled. "Shut up," he said softer, "and kiss me."

Cloud obliged, his soft, plump lips still smirking.

"You know what?" the blond whispered as he pulled away from Sephiroth's enthusiastic lips.

"Hmm," Sephiroth acknowledged. His eyes regarded Cloud with lazy contentment.

"I…kind of have the munchies now," the blond admitted with a small smile.

"And all behold," Sephiroth laughed exultantly, "the healing powers of sex!"

Cloud reared back and punched the silver haired man's shoulder. "Don't make fun."

Sephiroth smirked and clasped Cloud's hands in his own. "Just teasing. You're really very cute when you're flustered."

The blond blushed. "I'm hungry," he admitted with a soft voice, as if saying the words were something he'd get punished for.

The General pulled the boy off his lap with a last, lingering kiss. "Your bitch is my command."

Cloud crossed his arms over his chest and huffed in aggravation. "I asked you not to make fun."

"I'm not, baby," Sephiroth murmured and stood up. He leaned down to brush his cheek against Cloud's. "I'm just…happy, and it makes me a little…loopy."

Cloud smiled hesitantly. "How about _a lot_ loopy."

"Ya. Sounds about right. Do you want anything specific?"

"Something…easy on the stomach."

"Alright. I'll be right back."

As Sephiroth disappeared into the kitchen, Cloud picked up the blanket lying on the side of the couch and pulled it over himself. The blond winced at the cold feeling of sticky wet in his pants, and he figured that right after he ate something he'd take a shower.

And anyway…it was really funny to watch Sephiroth walk away in a sort-of-but-not-quite waddle to avoid the wet spot in his pants.

TBC…


	18. Chapter 18

Warnings: Very AU, language, yaoi

Disclaimer: I do not own FFVII or its characters. I make no money from this fiction.

Summary: Opening night for Midgar Dance Company's newest show may be the beginning of something more than just a hot new act.

* * *

This woman was an A-Class _bitch_.

"Again," she demanded, tapping the paper with her finger.

"I've already tried a million times. Can't we call it a day?" Cloud grumped as the stared at the paper with words, big words, printed on it. It was the very bane of his existence. It was the reason for his current headache. It was the reason he wanted to throw the woman out the classroom window to smash on the sidewalk dozens of stories below.

"You _are_ _not_ trying," the woman snapped. "You aren't doing anything I've told you. You walked in here with a bad attitude, and I haven't seen a single ounce of _trying_ in the two hours I've been here. Until you show me that you are actually listening to me we are going to sit here and stare at this paper."

Cloud crossed his arms and slouched down in his chair, the perfect example of a stubborn teenage asshole. "I can read enough to get buy," he sulked.

"It took you the first hour I was here to read 'Run, dog. Run.' I teach _five year olds_ with your disability that can read faster than that."

"It's not my fault!" Cloud roared.

The woman was fucking unflappable. "I know it's not your fault. However, if you stopped being so set against learning-"

"I'm _not_-" the blond cut himself off. One of Cloud's hands came up to cover his face. "I'm sorry. I just…really don't feel good right now. I'm having a bad day, and I'm making this harder than it needs to be. Could you call Sephiroth for me, please?"

The woman eyed Cloud for a moment before picked up the phone on the desk and dialing the extension she'd been instructed to call if Cloud needed anything. She spoke a few moments and hung up again.

"I promise I'll practice before our next session. Just," Cloud sighed and closed his eyes against the hard pounding in his skull. "Just put some assignments into my bag and I'll take care of it." He folded his arms on the desktop and rested his forehead on them.

The woman was quiet as she stuffed a few of the easier assignments into the bag at Cloud's feet. This was only their first session besides an initial testing period to diagnose the extent of Cloud's disability. Really, the boy wasn't that bad. If he took his time and concentrated he could read to some extent. It definitely wasn't one of the worst cases she'd seen, but the boy had been sullen and angry the entire morning making it impossible to work with him at all. It seemed to be more of a case of severe embarrassment and shame than a true case of the boy not wanting to learn. She'd been warned that Cloud had been through, and still was going through, a very rough time. What exactly that 'rough time' was, she hadn't been privy to. She'd been told in no uncertain terms that it wasn't related to Cloud's dyslexia and it wasn't any of her business. And really, it wasn't. However, it seemed that whatever the boy was going through _was_ affecting his ability to learn.

She'd have to work around that.

"Those are some short assignments. Don't try to do them all at once or you'll get frustrated. We'll go over them together at our next appointment."

"Thank you," the blond mumbled. "I'm sorry I'm being a dick."

The woman smiled. At least the boy was aware of how he was acting. "Go home and rest. We'll try to continue next time."

The boy nodded his head a little but didn't look up.

It wasn't much later that a polite knock on the door heralded Sephiroth making an entrance. "Ready to go?" he asked. The General walked to Cloud's side and knelt down.

A blue eye, usual vivid color slightly dulled, peeked over a sleekly muscled arm. "I don't feel good."

Sephiroth smiled gently. "I figured as much. You didn't have the best morning."

"Take me home, please?" The plea was rather pathetic.

The silver haired man nodded. "Want me to carry you?"

Cloud actually considered it for a moment before shaking his head. "I can make it if you get my bag for me."

Complying, Sephiroth picked up the bag and helped Cloud to his feet. "Thank you," Sephiroth nodded at the teacher.

She nodded back and watched as the pair moved out of the classroom. They really were cute together. It had been sweet to watch Sephiroth drop Cloud off earlier. There had been a short little kiss that made Cloud blush when he realized the teacher had been watching. Sephiroth hadn't cared. A second peck to Cloud's forehead and the General had left in a swirl of black leather. The blond's face had been terribly forlorn for a moment before settling into a mask of sullen resentment.

He apparently hadn't been prepared for this. Maybe pushed into beginning these lessons before he was truly ready. Whatever. She was paid to do a job, and she would do it.

If the irritating little bastard let her.

* * *

Cloud sat down on the bed, hand held to his head as if he were trying to keep his brain from exploding outward. Sephiroth disappeared for a moment and returned with a glass of water and, _bingo_, drugs.

The blond downed the two little pills with a large gulp of water before lying down and closing his eyes. He felt the softness of Sephiroth's quilt being pulled over him and a gentle kiss on his forehead. "I'm sorry I couldn't make it through my lesson today," Cloud apologized to the silver haired man.

Sephiroth sighed and brushed soft blond hair away from Cloud's face. "It's alright. I should have known that you wouldn't feel up to this yet."

Cloud snorted but didn't respond.

"Do you want anything else?"

The blond shook his head and breathed deeply, burrowing deeper into the covers.

Sephiroth kissed Cloud's face again and turned off the light before leaving the room.

The General shut the door behind him and leaned against it. He rubbed his face with both hands and a huge sigh escaped his lips.

"Two steps forward , three steps back, eh?"

Sephiroth looked up to see Genesis exiting his room, boots in hand, and shutting the door. "Kind of like that, yes," he responded.

"Humph," Genesis replied in understanding. "I'm sorry, for what it's worth. Your little ballerina has grown on me, in a beaten dog kind of way. Anyway, it's good to see you with someone. I thought I'd have to give up on you ever popping your cherry."

Smiling at Genesis' rather terse turn of phrase, Sephiroth let his hands fall away from his face. "Speaking of significant others, why haven't you brought your new beau to visit yet?"

Genesis actually blushed. It was faint, but Sephiroth's keen eyes could see the flush of color on the redhead's pale skin. "Now what is this?" Sephiroth laughed. "Are you embarrassed?"

The redhead shrugged and turned toward the living room while swinging his fashionable, knee-high black leather boots in his hand. Sephiroth followed in the other's wake, interested awakened. "Tell me why you, of all people, would be embarrassed of just another conquest."

"Well, probably because he's turned into more than just another conquest," Genesis retorted.

"Then I'm happy for you," Sephiroth said. "I don't see any reason for you to be ashamed of finding someone."

Genesis flopped onto the couch and crossed his long, lean legs clad in supple leather. He shrugged his slender shoulders in an absent gesture. "It's just…he's not exactly my usual type." He leaned over and started pulling on the boots.

"I don't think love cares about your 'type.'"

The redhead smiled ruefully. "Indeed. Barrett is very much the opposite of anything I've ever brought home before. I don't even know why I gave him a second glance, honestly. It was just…the way he smiled at me…"

************A few weeks earlier at Fenrir Ugly**************

Genesis followed Sephiroth into the crowded bar. This really was not his kind of place, and he could have kicked himself for suggesting he come here. He was better suited to fine martini bars with soft music and extremely expensive drinks. This brand of laughable hovel was for…_poor_ people, he thought rather arrogantly. He trailed closely behind the silver General, letting Sephiroth's physical intensity clear a path, albeit a very _narrow_ path through the unwashed masses.

Really, this was going to be _unbelievably_ plebian.

He'd have to make his own entertainment.

Reaching forward with a glint of eager mischievousness in his eyes, Genesis firmly pinched Sephiroth's beautiful backside.

The silver haired man whipped around with his arm already pulled back in a punch. Sephiroth stopped in mid-swing with a glare fixed on his face. "Pervert," Sephiroth muttered.

"Just getting in the mood, darling," Genesis responded. As the other man turned away, Genesis migrated to a less crowded end of the bar. Not that it wasn't still disgustingly packed, but at least he could move without feeling as if someone owed him dinner.

The music made him wince. Not only was the volume loud enough to shatter his mako-sensitive eardrums, but the sheer lascivious crudeness of it was enough to make him want to run screaming. The overpowering stench of lust-laced bodies, sweat and booze was just the combination to make his stomach start to roil and his eyes water. How any of the others were dealing with the noise and the smell was beyond him.

The redhead watched for awhile as Sephiroth tried to be cordial and _boyfriendish_ in such an unfavorable atmosphere. As far as Genesis was concerned, the silver haired man was wasting his energy by trying to woo his little chibi-esk blond in this milieu. It was horrifying, really.

However, he found it tremendously entertaining to watch the oh-so proper Sephiroth receive his first body-shot.

_Tremendously_ entertaining.

As Sephiroth was looking like a lost, forlorn puppy watching his blond dancing on the bar, Genesis approached him with the hopeful intent of coaxing Sephiroth to leave. Maybe now that they'd spent a few minutes watching the idiots make bigger idiots of themselves, Sephiroth would be content to leave.

"Well?" he coaxed the General. "Now what?"

Sephiroth looked utterly perplexed. "I…I don't know."

Genesis rolled his eyes and internally berated ardor-struck fools and the things they do for love. "I'm going to find someone to do. You're boring." With that, he flounced away, completely intent on leaving the bar and heading to something upper-plate, expensive, and filled with pretty, _clean_ men to take home for the evening.

However, he was chagrinned to be completely and utterly distracted by none other than the _bouncer_. The redhead hadn't even noticed the big man when they entered. He'd blended into the crowd of unworthy faces, wood-paneled walls and cheap, neon beer signs. Maybe it was the way the big man was tossing out a rowdy customer, the way his large, dark arms rippled with muscle as he pulled the struggling man out the door and threw him into the night, or the bright smile on his face when he turned around and came back inside…but there was _something_ about the man that drew Genesis' attention like nothing else ever had.

Except maybe weaponry.

And hot men.

Or sex.

But _anyway_, the big, burly bouncer was suddenly the center of Genesis' consideration. The redhead looked around for a moment and purveyed a barstool from one of the tall tables to the disgruntlement of the person who was actually _sitting_ _on_ the barstool. With a completely insincere apology, Genesis flounced over to the bouncer and situated his seat.

"Hello," the redhead purred.

The bouncer, standing at the entrance to the bar, startled a little to realize that someone was seated next to him. "Uh…hi?"

Genesis glanced at the big man's nametag. "Well…Barrett…what's your sign?"

"Excuse me?"

"Maybe I should start with a different question," the SOLDIER replied. A thin, gloved fingers walked their way up a heavily muscled arm. "Are you queer?"

The big man coughed and looked utterly aghast for a moment. A handful of people left the bar, and Barrett absently waved in a few more with his entire attention focused on Genesis.

"You mean like…gay?"

Genesis sighed. "You're a quick one, you know that? It's a good thing you're hot."

He could have sworn that he saw the bigger man blush. Genesis' keen, mako eyes picked up the subtle darkening of chocolate skin.

"I'm-well…I guess…"

"Oooh, on the fence. You know, nothing turns a gay man on more than a confused straight guy."

Barrett sputtered at Genesis' words.

"How about you and me go for coffee after you get off for the night? And by coffee, I mean sex."

The big man flailed for a moment before finally spitting out, "You're awful forward."

"I don't like to beat around the bush. In fact, I don't like bush at all."

"Well let's just…see where the night goes."

Genesis smiled sweetly, but Barrett knew there was nothing _sweet_ about this man. _Devious_, maybe. And if the mako-glow in the man's eyes were anything to go by, he was also _dangerous_.

"Are you…SOLDIER?"

The redhead looked offended. "You have _honestly_ never heard of _me_? Don't you read the tabloids?"

A heavy head shook. "Na' really."

Incredulous. "The news? News_papers_?"

Huge, powerful shoulders rose and fell. "'M not really tha' kin' a guy."

"The _informed_ kind?"

"Ya. That kind."

Genesis sighed hugely. "_I_," he began imperiously, "am Genesis Rhapsodos. SOLDIER General. _You_ should be so lucky to have the pleasure of my presence, you hot hunk of man."

"S-S-S-SOLDIER General? You're one of the Trinity? You're _the_ Genesis?"

"I am _the_ Genesis," the redhead said with a hauty flip of his hair.

"Oh, _shit_. You're gonna _fuckin'_ eat me alive, ain't ya?" The man looked suitably terrified.

"Oh, baby. You don't know the _half_ of it."

And then, Barrett had smiled. It was a huge, toothy thing without any culture but so much charm it made Genesis' heart flutter a little.

And he just kept coming back for more.

**************End Flashback**************

"A smile," Sephiroth chuckled ruefully. "A smile is all it took to woo you from your rakish ways."

Genesis threw a decorative pillow at Sephiroth, who neatly caught it. "Bite your tongue. You're the one who's shacking up with the little blond _ballerina_."

"And a _bouncer_ is any better?"

"At least _mine_ is a _real_ man."

Sephiroth laughed, slouching lower in his seat. "Cloud's a real man. He has a dick and everything."

"Could have fooled me," Genesis snarked, crossing his arms with an arrogant flourish after finishing the last buckles on his boots.

Sephiroth smiled and leaned his head in his hand. "Why don't you go find your _real_ man to harass. I'm sure he'd enjoy it."

"He's privileged to just be _noticed_ by me, and he knows it." With that, Genesis stood and smoothed his clothing back into perfect order. The soft, fitted black sweater looked rather fetching against Genesis' pale skin and bright hair, Sephiroth had to admit. The redhead knew how to dress, if nothing else. He never looked less than beautiful, poised and elegant.

Unless you counted the blackmail pictures Sephiroth had stuffed away in one of his drawers.

"Have a wonderful evening, if you don't choke on your own ego."

Genesis snorted and flipped him the bird before flouncing toward their private elevator and poking the button. Sephiroth continued to smirk at the other man as the elevator arrived and Genesis disappeared behind the sliding doors.

The silver haired man sighed and stretched hugely. He should be working, since he spent most of the day shuffling Cloud back and forth. However, he couldn't quite drum up the energy. He thought about going back to his room and lying down with Cloud. It was early afternoon, and a nap sounded like a grand idea.

A grand idea that would let him procrastinate a little longer about going to work.

He hemmed and hawed for a few minutes before deciding that, despite his lack of initiative, he needed to finish at least a few hours of work. The last thing he needed was for the company to be on his ass about fucking _paperwork_.

On top of all the other shit he'd managed to chap their asses about recently.

Despite it all, he _was_ going to work from the in-home office. That way he could keep a close eye on the little, sweet blond sleeping away in his bedroom and avoid any more censure while he was at it.

With a grunt of effort he would have been ashamed for anyone to hear, Sephiroth stood and trudged his way down the hall.

He'd be there when Cloud woke up. It was all he could do.

TBC…


	19. Chapter 19

Warnings: Very AU, language, yaoi

Disclaimer: I do not own FFVII or its characters. I make no money from this fiction.

Summary: Opening night for Midgar Dance Company's newest show may be the beginning of something more than just a hot new act.

* * *

There is only so long a person, even a teenager, can ditch responsibility before life starts detouring from shirker-like satisfaction to outright boring.

Cloud rolled over in bed. It was a lazy kind of movement born out of melancholy rather than lethargy. He felt like he'd been glued to the bed for his entire life. For someone used to massive amounts of physical exercise to be cooped up for so long was rather depressing. Not that the bed was uncomfortable, quite the opposite actually. It was soft; the kind of perfect softness that hugged all the curves and supported all the dips. He could have spent the rest of his life sleeping in that bed. But at night. _After_ a full day's work.

He wasn't at full health yet or even a normal weight, but he was feeling good enough to be depressed about the fact that he wasn't healthy…if that made any sense. He didn't want to be in bed anymore. He wanted to _dance_.

Dancing was his life. He loved it. He breathed, ate, and slept dancing. He did it well, it made him feel accomplished, and sitting here like a fat cow made him feel a little frantic inside.

All that frantic energy escaped his body in a long, drawn out sigh as he settled deeper into the pile of blankets and closed his eyes.

Maybe he could convince Sephiroth he needed to get moving again. It wasn't doing him any good to lie around like a beached whale…skeleton.

Cloud rolled over again with a burst of restless energy. The moonlight from the windows shone on the photographs that lined Sephiroth's walls. In the dark, it looked liked rows and rows of shiny squares floating around the room. If he'd smoked some pot it'd be way more entertaining than it was right now.

In the time he'd spent recovering in this room, Cloud had studied those photographs. They seemed rather random at first, until he'd asked Sephiroth about one in particular that he didn't understand. It was a picture of a rather dull hallway. That was it. Just a hallway as plain and generic as any other Shinra building hallway.

"What's this?" Cloud had asked, touching the green tacks that held the picture up by the top corners.

Sephiroth had glanced up from the laptop he'd dragged into the bed. "Hmp?" he'd mumbled around the pen dangling from his mouth.

Cloud smiled. Sephiroth chewed on pens.

"This hallway. Why do you have a picture of it?"

Sephiroth had shrugged and continued to type. "That was where I found out I was being promoted to General."

Cloud's eyes widened. He looked at the photo again with newly reverent eyes. "I…I thought you told me that you were in Wutai when you became General."

"I had to go back and forth sometimes. Public relations and that bullshit. Press conferences didn't work well on the battlefield." The man scribbled something out on the ledger sitting on the bed before typing again. "They told me as I was walking to one of the auditoriums for yet another press release. They did the promotion ceremony, and two hours later I was back on a plane to Wutai."

Cloud fiddled with the tacks for a moment longer before moving along.

Most of the pictures were like that. Some were self explanatory, like the shots of Sephiroth's roommates doing stupid shit, or heroic shit.

"Do you always carry a camera?" Cloud wondered as he traced the outline of a miniature Genesis fighting with something that looked very scary and a smidgeon unreal.

In answer, Sephiroth pulled a tiny, digital camera out of his pocket.

"Do you have any pictures of me?"

Sephiroth ignored him in favor of the laptop.

"Seph?"

_Rejection_.

"S_eeeee_ph…"

"Stop buggin' me. I gotta finish this tonight."

Cloud smiled a tiny, knowing smile. "You do, don't you?"

The older man turned a page in the ledger more violently than necessary.

"Where are they?"

Vigorous typing.

"Come _oooonn_."

Violent writing.

"It'll make me feel better," Cloud said in a tiny, sweet voice.

Sephiroth sighed and closed the laptop. "You'll think I'm a stalker."

"I thought we already confirmed your stalker status," the blond teased.

The silver haired man leaned and fished under the bed with a practiced movement before sliding a long, squat plastic bin out from underneath. Cloud's head cocked, sending his blond spikes waving. He stepped forward and settled on the floor cross-legged. The edge of the bin unlatched with a 'pop' and the blond lifted up the top.

Inside was…something that should be creepy but Cloud found rather endearing.

There were pictures, all right. Pictures and ticket stubs and programs. Cheap bootleg DVD's of performances. Cloud looked through everything with interest. This was how Sephiroth fell in love with him. All these scrapes of paper had been fawned over and well loved by the look of it.

This collection of crap was responsible for the best thing that ever happened to him.

Cloud pulled a plain paperboard box out and opened the lid. Pictures of him dancing filled the interior in perfect little stacks. They were the kind of pictures that theaters specifically forbid. Appearently, Sephiroth was above the whole, "Please, do not take any pictures or video during the performance," warning. The blond was astonished at how many of his concerts Sephiroth had attended. How had he _not known_ someone so famous was a frequent patron of his shows?

Probably because he didn't give a shit about anything but the dancing. He didn't see the audience. He didn't look at the VIP guest list like everyone else did. They would 'ooh' and 'ahh' at the big names while he did mindless relevé-pliésin the corner.

He'd been so _oblivious_.

Another box contained what Cloud could only call 'candid' photographs. Pictures of him entering the performing complex, pictures of him getting on the bus, and one random set of pictures of him at the gas station by his apartment buying…toothpaste.

"You really were a stalker."

"Only when I was in town."

And they had left it at that.

Present-day Cloud smacked his lips and worked his mouth to develop some moisture. Thirsty. He pulled himself to a sitting position on the side of the bed and rolled his head loosely on his shoulders. The bed creaked a little as he stood up and pulled a robe off the floor to head to the kitchen. While Sephiroth kept it rather warm in their room to pander to Cloud's constant chill, the rest of the apartment was cold to accommodate SOLDIER metabolism and high body heat. The blond's little sweatpants wouldn't cut it, but the robe was overly large and warm. And comforting as it was Sephiroth's, and very much smelled like him.

The blond walked in a flu-like haze down the hallway. Everything seemed very _late_. It was so dark, the moon not actually visible through the huge panels of windows as they faced the wrong direction. It felt like it was the latest of latest nights.

He really wished Sephiroth was home to ward off the weird middle-of-the-night feeling he had right now, but the man was working overnight because of _him_ taking up so much time lately. Sephiroth still had deadlines and paperwork and a _job_ to do regardless of Cloud's usurpation of his life.

He still wished he was here.

The blond was rather puzzled when he reached the kitchen and didn't have to turn on the light. Because it was already on. Because the kitchen was packed full of people Cloud didn't know.

They were SOLDIERs, that much was obvious.

The big men were loitering around with various beer bottles strewn everywhere and held in hand. Cloud felt rather…tiny compared to so many mountains of sheer body building muscle and testosterone.

"Hey, chickabo!" Zack pounced on the little dancer. "Hey guys! Meet Cloud! Isn't he just so fucking cute?" Zack picked the small teenager up and shook him around a little, like a five year old at show-and-tell.

The men smiled indulgently at Zack and waved, grunted, or spoke a rather terse, "'Sup?"

The blond tottered a little bit when he was set back on his feet and caught himself on the counter.

"Whoa there killer," one of the big men laughed, helping the little teenager steady himself.

"S-sorry," Cloud stuttered as he looked around with large, deer-in-the-headlights blue eyes.

"You're ok, kid," the man smiled.

"So, you're the piece of ass the General's been mooning over for…fuck, what's it been? Three fucking years or some fucking shit?" a SOLDIER with sandy blond hair and a tattoo of a cactuar on his bicep asked.

"I'm…sorry?" Cloud was bewildered. Completely taken off guard and unable to respond in any kind of rational reply the blond stood in the bright lights of the kitchen with his skinny arms wrapped around himself as if they could protect him from the overwhelming presence of so many very large men.

"Be nice, for fuck's sake," Zack scolded and punched the other man hard enough that Cloud winced at the impact of flesh on flesh.

"Ya, fuck," another man said. His hair was green. Neon green. It didn't go well with his complexion. It made him look like he was about to vomit at any moment.

"This is _Cloud_," Zack said, as if his guests were particularly slow. "He's Seph's fucking _boyfriend_, so be nice for fuck's sake. Have a little class, you fuck-tards."

Cloud had never heard the word 'fuck' said so many times in his life.

Scratch that. One cast of Westside Story he'd danced on had been worse than this…but only barely.

"Um…hi?" Cloud peeped.

"Want a beer?" somebody asked and popped the cap off a bottle by using his bellybutton.

Ew.

"Um, no. Thanks. I mean no thank you. Just, I needed some water."

"Go ahead, Spiky. Don't let us be in your way," Zack waved toward the sink.

Cloud clenched the folds of his robe in his hands and turned toward the cabinet that held the glasses. Which happened to be behind the bulky form of bottle cap guy.

"Excuse me?" Cloud cheeped in his quietest, most unassuming voice.

"He is fucking _adorable_," the big man rumbled. He looked older than the rest, maybe in his thirties? And hard-worn. And kind of scary. "Almost makes me wanna be queer. You and the brass are fucking rubbing off on me."

The rest of the men laughed uproariously, as if that was the funniest thing they'd ever heard. It must have been and inside joke.

"Are all dude ballerina's gay?" green haired guy asked abruptly.

Cloud's mouthed opened and closed several times as his fuzzy and overwhelmed mind tried to process the rather crude and unexpected question.

"I…I never really, um. No?"

They all laughed again and Zack ruffled his hair.

"But a lot of them are, right? Gay?"

Cloud slightly bristled at that, once the inappropriateness of the questioning finally caught up with him. But he immediately deflated as he remembered he was the center of the unwanted attention of several intimidating SOLDIERs. "Not…really. A lot of producers and directors are, though."

The guffaws were enough to split his eardrums.

"See! _See_!" Green haired guy screamed. "It's always the _boss_. The boss is _always_ gay!"

It must be an inside joke because the men seemed to collapse into themselves at the absolute hilarity of the situation.

Or…there really were a lot of empty bottles in the kitchen.

"Can…can I just get a glass? Please?" Cloud whispered hopefully into the air of the kitchen.

"Ya, sure kid," bottle-cap guy hiccupped and wiped his eyes. He turned and pulled a glass out of the cupboard behind it and handed it to Cloud who snatched it. The blond hustled out of the kitchen like a receiver who just caught the football and was booking it for the in-zone to win the game.

Not that Cloud would have ever understood the simile.

The blond ended up in Sephiroth's small ensuite bathroom. He filled the glass in the sink and returned to the bedroom. The water was cool and refreshing as he gulped it down. The blond sat down on the bed and looked at the old-fashioned clock on the nightstand. It was silver with a large, round white face and fancily spooled black hands that regally made their way round and round until, way too early in the morning, the tiny clapper on top raised holy hell to make Sephiroth get up and start the day.

Cloud hated the stupid thing.

It was 3am.

What in hell were all those SOLDIERs doing in the apartment at this time of night?

Cloud sighed. Those men in the kitchen were wholly unappealing to him. Zack was ok, but the rest were just…not his kind of people. Where all SOLDIERs like that? So crude and lacking in manners? The only SOLDIERs he'd been exposed to were Sephiroth's roommates, and while they were all _neurotic_ to the extreme, they were polite.

Those men were _not_ polite.

Zack seemed to like them, though. Maybe they were just drunk.

He wished Sephiroth was here.

Cloud turned the light on the side table off after setting the glass down. The blond lay down on the bed and rolled himself into the blanket. He was glad he couldn't hear the stupidity of the men in the kitchen from here. They made him nervous.

He _really_ wished Sephiroth was here.

* * *

Sephiroth didn't come home until 6am. He looked tired, Cloud thought as he watched the other man through slitted eyes. The General pulled his coat off after he quietly closed the bedroom door behind him. He was obviously trying to keep from waking Cloud as his boots were already off. The blond could hear the soft shuffling of bare feet on the hardwood floors where they weren't covered by the soft, cushioned rugs.

The silver haired man sighed heavily and ran his fingers through his hair before pulling off belts and straps to eventually shuck his pants.

Cloud almost smirked but kept his face neutral. Sephiroth wore bikini-briefs.

It was these stupid little things that made Cloud fall further in love with Sephiroth.

Kind of like Sephiroth's stalker box but not quite as creepy.

The dancer closed his eyes as Sephiroth climbed into bed. The bigger man felt cold as he snuggled up under the blankets and curled around the smaller body.

"Hey," the blond breathed. He scooted back, offering his body heat to the chilled man behind him.

"You should be sleeping," Sephiroth rumbled. The bigger man's breathing was already deepening toward slumber.

"So should you," Cloud replied. Big arms hooked around his smaller body and trapped him in a comfortable embrace.

"I'm gonna catch a few and go back," Sephiroth yawned and buried his face in Cloud's tuft of yellow hair.

"I'm sorry you have to work this hard to catch up."

Cloud could feel the big body behind him shrug.

"I'll be done soon. A couple more days like this and it'll all be finished."

"I'm still sorry."

"'S worth it," Sephiroth mumbled.

Cloud closed his eyes and listened to the sound of Sephiroth's breathing turn regular and deep. "I hope I am," he whispered into the early morning air.

* * *

"I want to go to practice," Cloud said firmly to Zack a few hours later.

The dining room table, Cloud had found, was rarely used for dining. It mostly acted as a catch-all for random crap that nobody wanted to deal with. Or, in this case, a place to play monopoly.

Zack was a bastard and made Cloud actually _say_ the word for each property. Pointing and saying, "I want that one," wasn't cutting it. _And_ he had to read the cards.

"Hmph?" Zack asked as he tried counting out the bills to purchase a house for one of his properties.

"I want to go back to practice. At the theater."

Zack shook his head and gathered up one of the tiny plastic houses. "I don't know if you're ready for that, chickaboo."

Cloud sighed and rolled the dice. "I know I'm not ready to go back to performing, but I am ready to practice a little again. I'm going stir crazy." He slowly counted the dots on the dice before moving his piece, the little wheelbarrow.

Zack watched Cloud for a moment before propping his head up with his arm, elbow planted on the table. "Well…maybe. Talk to Seph about it. As long as you don't go nuts and only do a little bit at a time, you should be fine. Could you do it here? Do you need to be in the theater? It might be easier to convince Seph if he doesn't have to let you go too far out of his sight."

"He's still terribly overprotective," Cloud sighed. He absentmindedly straightened his money.

Zack shrugged. "He has all the right reasons to be. To his mind, at least. He's lost a lot, kid. Or…never had it in the first place. He doesn't want to loose you."

"I know," Cloud heaved out exasperatedly. "I _know_. I don't know _why_, but I know."

"He loves you," Zack said softly, sincerely.

"Why _me_. What is it about _me_? I'm…I'm nothing remarkable. I'm _nothing_. I'm a _nothing_ with so many fuck-ups he should have left me the second he talked to me."

"He thinks you're something. Seph isn't someone to pay attention to _nothing_."

Cloud stared at the board, not really seeing it. "Then…what _am_ I?"

"According to the guys last night, you're Sephiroth's sweet piece of ass."

The blond flushed and Zack roared with laughter.

"I didn't think they were gay," Cloud glowered.

"They're not. They just don't know what else to think about you. All they see is the _People_ magazine and tabloid crap they print about Seph and what few bits they get from me. Seph doesn't talk about himself much to the guys."

"But…they were all here last night. I thought maybe you did that a lot, so maybe Seph would join you…when you did stuff…like that…"

Zack shook his head. "Whenever I have friends over, Seph hides in his room. He's not really social."

"Neither am I," Cloud pointed out.

"Yaaa…" Zack rubbed the back of head in a sheepish kind of way. "Sorry that me and the guys kind of put you on the spot last night. I was kinda…drunk."

"I figured," the blond sighed. "I'm sorry if I'm not as exciting as they are."

"They're fun sometimes…but not always," the spiky haired brunet winked. "You're a sweet guy, Cloud. Despite what you think of yourself, you're fun to be around. A real sweetheart."

Cloud blushed again and Zack smiled wolfishly.

"It's your turn," the blond pointed out with a pout and pushed the dice toward Zack.

"_Maaaybe_," Zack said in a wheedling kind of voice, "you should take some time to think about what you like about yourself, and then you would understand why we like you."

"I'll…I'll think about it."

* * *

He thought about it, alright. He thought about it long and hard and came up with _nothing_. He was needy and bitchy. He had more faults than a shattered wine glass. He wasn't really that nice to people.

Why did people feel the need to be nice to _him_?

The blond looked at himself in the mirror of Sephiroth's bathroom. It was a pretty piece of art. Totally out of place in a _bathroom_, but pretty. It looked like an antique, or a really good reproduction of an antique. All carved wood painted in artfully cracked gold paint. The mirror itself was slightly smoky, not enough to obscure his image but enough to make it look like the room around him was darker than it actually was.

His reflection stared back at him. The blond turned his head this way and that, examining his face. Maybe…he was…good looking?

In that 20's starlet, waif kind of way. All pale skin and big eyes. He had to admit, he looked a little better since he'd gained some weight. Not quite so skeletal. He'd lost the starving orphan look and graduated to…something almost pretty. Cloud was topping the scales at almost ninety five pounds now. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd weighed this much.

And Sephiroth wanted to see him at one hundred and ten.

He already felt like he was horribly overweight. He felt like his strength was gone, weighted down by every extra ounce that clung to his frame.

Cloud turned sideways and looked at his profile. He had a nice ass, he supposed. It wasn't the kind of ass _he_ looked for in a guy. He liked a nice, strong ass. The kind that looked like it could crack brazil nuts. His was…bubbly. But, he'd heard some guys liked bubble butts. His waist was small, abdomen hard and corded with core muscles. The shoulders were broad for a person of his height, and made him look a little less girly then he might have otherwise.

He turned back to the mirror and leaned forward to seriously regard his face a few inches from the surface. He'd been told his eyes were beautiful by more than one person. Pictures had been taken of his blues and plastered on magazines, banners, and programs. They were pretty, he guessed. He'd always hated them. They were so easily moved to tears. They were too expressive. He could give away his deepest secrets without even knowing it when people looked into his eyes.

He'd always liked his hair, despite the many similarities it shared with a bird's nest. He thought it made him look a little badass to counteract the baby face it framed.

Ok, so…recap. Likes: hair. Dislikes: everything else.

Cloud sighed and banged his head softly against the mirror. He, apparently, was beautiful. Sephiroth thought he was _beautiful_. _Why_?

He turned and stomped out of the bathroom and plunked down on the floor next to the bed. He pulled out the storage bin under the bed and snapped it open. With a vigor he hadn't felt for a long time, he sifted through Sephiroth's stalker box. Pictures. So many pictures. He couldn't see…see…_what_ _was_ _it_?

What did Sephiroth see in these pieces of paper that made him fall in love with a stupid little fucked up blond _idiot_. Said blond idiot couldn't see any reason for Sephiroth to love him. Nothing. _Nothing_.

Cloud threw down a pile of photos in frustration and looked at what was left in the box.

The DVDs. He hadn't looked at those yet.

He picked up the pile and went into the living room. Angeal was sitting on the couch with a newspaper and a cup of tea in front of him on the coffee table.

Cloud balked for a moment. Angeal was somewhat intimidating to the little blond. He didn't talk much, and when he did it was usually to chastise someone. Did he dare disturb the burly SOLDIER? Did he challenge Angeal's quiet time and possibly provoke a bitch out?

Yes.

"I need the TV," Cloud said firmly, marching into the common area.

"Go for it," the brunet said with a distracted wave.

Cloud was taken aback. "Oh…uh. Thanks."

The blond went to the huge TV and turned it on with the remote. He'd gotten good at using the DVD player and TV over the space of his illness. It was a few moments before the video began to roll. This was one of the few legally purchased videos of his performances Sephiroth had. The rest were bootlegs and probably bad ones. He wanted to watch the clearest first to see what in the hell Sephiroth…saw…in…him…

Cloud cocked his head to the side and stared at the huge screen in puzzlement.

Did he really look like that?

He'd never watched himself dance before. Well…not like this. Watching himself in the wall of mirrors in a dance studio to correct errors was very different from watching himself in third person. It was almost hypnotizing, the way he moved. He knew he was good. It was one of the few things in life he was proud of: his ability to dance and do it better than anyone else. Dancing was his everything. Nothing else had ever existed beyond it. Not the crappy apartment, the mountains of debt, or the pain he pushed his body through. Not the fact that he couldn't read, or didn't eat, or that he was hardly sentient outside of the theater. Everything could be ignored when he danced. And when he wasn't…life was just another pile of shit to wade through until the next time he could ignore it.

And then…one of the most famous men in the world had uprooted his life and shown him that there was more, that there was hope.

That maybe he was worth something.

"Hey, kid," Angeal's low, rumbling voice made Cloud start a little.

"Ya?"

"That's…really beautiful. You're a pretty amazing dancer."

Cloud's big eyes blinked as he watched himself move across the stage. "Ya. Beautiful."

TBC…


End file.
